PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Robinson: Tough to Find Replacement

Coach John Robinson, perhaps only a week or so away from being former Coach John Robinson, said that finding a successful head coach isn’t as easy as might be assumed.

“It’s a complicated job,” Robinson said. “I don’t think people--not many people that hire coaches--know much about hiring coaches. I’m not talking about here. I’m just talking about whether it’s an athletic director or a president of a university or an owner or, in some cases, the general manager. (They) don’t know. . . .

“They look at what the stats are, offense is No. 1, (and say) ‘Let’s hire that guy.’ So it’s very confusing.”

So what is the No. 1 quality a team, say the Rams, should look for in a coach?

“A leader,” Robinson said. “Somebody that can lead a group--not necessarily somebody with technical expertise. . . .

“I think it’s overrated that the man has to have vast NFL experience. . . . I think he has to be at a place where he’s prepared to learn.”