Robinson Gets New Title at UCLA : Football: As assistant head coach, he will be in charge of the defense and kicking game, leaving an opening for an offensive coordinator.

After one season of running UCLA’s offense, Greg Robinson was named assistant head coach Tuesday, assuming duties with the defense where he gained a reputation of producing outstanding linemen.

The Bruins, coming off their worst season since 1971 with a 3-7-1 record, were criticized for an uncreative offense last fall. But Coach Terry Donahue said he wanted to resurrect the Bruin defense in announcing the change.

The move opens the offensive coordinator position, with speculation that Donahue wants to rehire Homer Smith, his highly respected one-time assistant who coaches at Alabama. Smith could not be reached for comment. Other speculation centered on Mike White, the former Illinois and California coach, and Paul Hackett, one-time USC assistant who is at Pittsburgh and John Featherstone, El Camino College coach.

The staff shake-up began when Larry Kerr, who coached inside linebackers for one season, accepted the defensive coordinator position with Northern Arizona. Kerr was hired by new Coach Steve Axman, who served as the Bruins’ offensive coordinator in 1988 and ‘87, replacing Smith.

Robinson, a UCLA assistant for eight years, spent seven seasons on defense, and was responsible for the Bruins’ defensive lines until last season. He said Donahue was moving him to reunite the defensive assistants in an effort to reverse last season’s dismal showing.

“I enjoyed the heck out of what I did this year,” Robinson said of the offensive coordinator job. “But I’m excited to go over there (to defense) and patch up things. Terry thought this move would be the fastest way we could turn things around.”

Said Donahue in a statement: “We have been very successful defensively throughout the 1980s and I felt that putting the staff back together would be great for the program.”

Donahue said Bob Field will remain as defensive coordinator.

UCLA insiders said Donahue mulled potential changes for three weeks.

“Terry wanted to put the defensive staff back together as much as he could,” Robinson said. “Right now, he wants to get the defense and kicking game squared away. We had some young people, some injuries and problems early on that hurt our defense. We have some people who have some talent.”

Although the defense had its problems, the offense took the brunt of criticism this season. Robinson said the crush from Bruin fans did not bother him.

“That’s part of the deal,” he said.

But one Bruin coach said: “There was a lot of creativity in our offense this year. But it wasn’t hitting all the cylinders some of the time.”

Smith was offensive coordinator for two terms at UCLA, leading teams that went 17-5 for Coach Pepper Rogers in 1972-73 and 59-19-5 for Donahue in 1980-86. With Axman as offensive coordinator, the Bruins were 20-4.

Robinson, who served as an assistant at Cal State Fullerton from 1977 to ‘79, was credited with putting together the 1987 Bruin defensive line that gave up an average of 85.1 rushing yards to 11 regular-season opponents, fourth best in the country that season.