Wife of legendary Grambling coach Eddie Robinson dies at 96

Published Sep. 16, 2015 4:56 p.m. ET

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(STATS) - Doris Robinson, the wife of legendary Grambling State football coach Eddie Robinson, died Wednesday morning at a hospital in Rushton, Louisiana. She was 96.

Her late husband was the second-winningest coach in NCAA Division I history with 408 victories. He retired in 1997 and died at the age of 88 in 2007.

The Eddie G. Robinson Museum, located on the Grambling State campus, announced Doris Robinson's passing, noting she attended a reception there last week. Her health, though, had been declining in recent years.

Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs, who played under Eddie Robinson, told the Louisiana Radio Network, "She actually gave her husband what he needed to get back out there and fight every day for Grambling State University. So she's just as important as Coach Robinson has been for Grambling State University."

Doris Mott Robinson, a former school teacher who was referred to as the "Eternal First Lady of GSU Football," was Eddie's college sweetheart. She stood by his side throughout a career at Grambling that spanned 55 seasons from 1941-42 and 1945-97.

He posted a 408-165-15 career record and sent more than 200 of his players on to NFL careers, including Hall of Famers Buck Buchanan, Charlie Joiner, Willie Brown and Willie Davis.

Penn State's Joe Paterno (409 wins) surpassed Robinson in 2011 for the most Division I football coaching victories. John Gagliardi holds the mark for the most college wins overall (489), mostly at the Division III level with St. John's (Minn.).

Eddie and Doris Robinson's two children passed away previous to their mother's death - Eddie Jr. in 2013 and Lillian last year.