CBS Sports names former Michigan Football coach the No. 11 worst hire of the century

In this story:
Some former Michigan football coaches have left Ann Arbor and made nice careers for themselves. Recently, both Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter have done nice things in the NFL. Macdonald became the new head coach with the Seattle Seahawks, while Minter is already a top defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers.
But not all coaches made names for themselves outside of Ann Arbor -- or during their time at Michigan. One of those coaches is former defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.
Robinson made CBS Sports' list as one of the worst coaching hires in college football in this century. Robinson came in at No. 11. Robinson was the head coach of Syracuse from 2005-08 and went just 5-37.

"Robinson was endlessly positive but the on-field results never matched his optimism. Robinson inherited a program that had only one losing season in 14 years under previous coach Paul Pasqualoni, but he immediately had the worst year in Syracuse's storied history with a 1-10 record in 2005. He won only 10 games on the field in four seasons -- five of those were later vacated -- in the low point of Orange football."
But his poor head coaching career didn't matter to Rich Rodriguez, who brought Robinson on board as Michigan's DC in 2009. The Wolverines, under Robinson, had the 82nd-ranked defense in the country. And it got worse in his final year in Ann Arbor. Michigan had the 110th-ranked defense in college football, and following that season, both Rodriguez and Robinson lost their jobs.
Robinson would then become Texas' DC in 2013 before taking over at San Jose State from 2014-15.
Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -
More Michigan News:
Ranking Michigan football's 2025 schedule from 12 to 1: No. 12 New Mexico Lobos
Where Phil Steele ranks Michigan football in 2025 Big Ten Power Rankings
Michigan beats Penn State, Texas A&M for top-150 recruit
The best of the best: Michigan football All Quarter Century Team

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
Follow @trentknoop