COLUMBIA, SC -
University of South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier has tabbed Joe Robinson as the team's special teams coordinator and tight ends coach, it was announced today.
Robinson, the 2010 FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year, joins the Gamecock staff after one season at the University of North Carolina where he coached the defensive line.
"We are pleased to announce Joe Robinson as our special teams coach," said Coach Spurrier. "He has many years of experience and his special teams had the No. 1 overall ranking in the SEC in 2009. Our special teams will be in good hands under Coach Robinson and we look forward to having him and his family become Gamecocks."
"I'm excited to be here and thankful to become part of Coach Spurrier's staff," said Robinson. "He's done a great job with this program and my family is excited about this opportunity."
Prior to his arrival in Chapel Hill, Robinson spent three seasons as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at LSU. In his award-winning 2010 season, the Tigers' special teams finished in the top 13 nationally in net punting, kickoff return average and punt return average while earning a trip to the Cotton Bowl. In 2009, LSU's special teams combined to rank No. 1 overall in the SEC as the Tigers led the league in both kickoff coverage (44.5 net average) and punt returns (18.9). LSU was the only team in the league to rank among the top three in the conference in four special teams categories. Kick returner Trinton Holliday led the SEC and ranked No. 2 in the nation in punt returns and was selected in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
Robinson has coached a variety of positions during his coaching career, including defensive line, special teams, linebackers and running backs. He also has experience as a recruiting coordinator at Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech.
He began his collegiate coaching career at Louisiana Tech where he served as a defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator from 1989-91. Robinson then coached seven seasons at Southern Miss where he tutored the defensive line (1992-93), linebackers (1994-95) and special teams (1996-98) while also earning a master's degree. He returned to Louisiana Tech for one year (2001), and also logged stints at Houston (2002) and Central Florida (2003).
Robinson coached defensive ends and special teams for four seasons at Arizona from 2004-07. He coached a number of outstanding special teams performers with the Wildcats, including NFL draft picks Antoine Cason, (1st round by San Diego), Nick Folk (6th round by Dallas) and Syndric Steptoe (7th round by Cleveland). In 2004, Robinson coached on the same Arizona staff as current South Carolina wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier, Jr.
A 1985 graduate of LSU, Robinson's first coaching job came as an assistant at Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee in 1986. He was promoted to head coach in 1987. Robinson spent the 1988 season as the defensive coordinator at Bastrop High School.
Born Sept. 12, 1960 in Abilene, Texas, Robinson and his wife, Abby, have three daughters, Alexandra, Madeline and Valerie.
Spurrier has also tabbed Kirk Botkin as the team's linebackers coach, it was announced today.
I'm excited to name Kirk Botkin as our linebackers coach," said Coach Spurrier. "He has a lot of experience as both a player and a coach. I feel that Coach Botkin will bring energy, enthusiasm and good play to our linebackers."
Botkin returns to the collegiate coaching ranks after spending the last two seasons coaching high school football at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas. He spent the 2008 and '09 seasons coaching the defensive ends and special teams at his alma mater, Arkansas, under Bobby Petrino, including one season alongside Gamecocks' defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward.
"I'm happy to be here and have the opportunity to work with outstanding coaches like Coach Spurrier and Coach Ward," said Botkin. "I'm looking forward to bringing my family to Columbia and becoming part of the Gamecock family."
Botkin was the Razorbacks' first All-SEC performer as a tight end in 1992 and '93, and served as a captain during his senior season. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in education. He was later named to the Razorbacks' All-Decade team for the 1990s after logging 87 career receptions for 819 yards and five touchdowns.
Botkin spent four years in the NFL, including playing for Bill Parcells in New England (1994), Jim Mora in New Orleans (1994-95) and Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh (1996-97). After an injury ended his career, he began his coaching career at his hometown high school of Robert E. Lee High in Baytown, Texas in 1999. In 2000 he worked as a graduate assistant at Rice University in Houston.
From 2001-05, Botkin served as an assistant coach at Jacksonville State University, first as a tight ends/offensive tackles coach, then as an outside linebackers/special teams coach. While at JSU, the squad won the Ohio Valley Conference in 2003 and '04 and coached seven all-conference performers.
Between stints at Jacksonville State and Arkansas, Botkin spent two seasons coaching linebackers and special teams at Louisiana-Monroe. In 2007, he helped the Warhawks record their first non-losing season in 14 years, including a win at Alabama.
Born March 19, 1971, Botkin and his wife, the former Rebecca Holloway, have three children, Lane, Ty and Brynn.
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