USC Silent Regarding Robinson

A day after saying he would step aside if the university thought “I’m no longer the guy to do it,” USC football Coach John Robinson heard no comment Wednesday.

Both USC President Steven B. Sample and Athletic Director Mike Garrett declined to comment on Robinson or the team, which is 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

“Dr. Sample is not commenting on the football team’s situation just yet,” said a USC spokesman.

A Garrett spokesman said the athletic director did not want to comment on the football staff until after the season.

Robinson, only months into a five-year, $3-million contract, is faced with the daunting task of defeating both UCLA (Nov. 23) and Notre Dame (Nov. 30) to achieve a winning record this season.

Picked as a top-10 team before the season and an overwhelming choice to win the Pac-10 championship, the Trojans have lost four of their last six.

When he met with reporters in his office Tuesday, Robinson accepted responsibility for the disappointing season, but also challenged recently vocal Trojan partisans to match their ardor with a new commitment to USC’s football facilities, among the Pac-10’s worst.