Dec. 8, 2015
University of South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp has confirmed the hiring of Travaris Robinson and Bobby Bentley as assistant coaches to his staff, it was announced today. Robinson will serve as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, while Bentley will coach the running backs.
Robinson, who is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country, has spent the past five seasons coaching defensive backs under Muschamp, first at Florida (2011-14), then at Auburn (2015). The former Tiger standout also began his coaching career at Auburn under Muschamp, first as a staff assistant in 2006, then as a graduate assistant in 2007.
“I look forward to Travaris leading our defense,” said Muschamp. “I’ve worked with him since 2006. He understands our schemes and systems and what we want to accomplish on defense.”
Robinson, a Miami, Fla. native, spent one season each as a defensive backs coach at Western Kentucky (2008), Southern Miss (2009) and Texas Tech (2010) before reuniting with Muschamp on his staff at Florida.
At Texas Tech, he helped the Red Raiders to an 8-5 record and a TicketCity Bowl victory over Northwestern. In his one season at Tech, Robinson had two defensive backs earn All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recognition and a third that was named a freshman All-America honorable mention selection.
His 2009 Southern Miss squad finished in the top four in Conference USA in pass efficiency defense (130.7), interceptions (12) and yards per pass attempt (7.06) and he coached First Team All-C-USA selection Eddie Hicks.
In his first season at Florida in 2011, Robinson guided a UF secondary that ranked seventh in the nation in pass defense (166.8), while the Gator defense ranked eighth nationally in total defense (299.5).
Robinson led a secondary that was one of the best in the nation in 2012, ranking No. 2 in pass efficiency defense (95.55) and allowing just seven touchdown passes, the second-fewest in the nation. Florida had 20 interceptions on the season, good for seventh nationally while safety Matt Elam was a first-team All-America selection and first-round draft pick.
In 2013, Robinson’s secondary was seventh nationally in passing defense (171.8), eighth in passing efficiency defense (107.18), while the defensive unit was eight in total defense (314.3). Under Robinson, Vernon Hargraves III was a freshman All-SEC and freshman All-America pick while being named the National Freshman Defensive Player of the Year by College Football News.
In 2014 at Florida, Robinson again tutored Hargraves III, who was a first-team All-SEC pick and named a first-team All-America. Freshman defensive back Jalen Tabor received freshman All-America and freshman All-SEC honors. The Gators defense finished the 2014 regular season ranked ninth nationally in total defense (311.0), 14th in pass efficiency defense (107.57) and 23rd in passing defense (194.2).
Before embarking on his coaching career, Robinson played two seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Robinson received his bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Auburn in 2007. He is married to the former Mandisa Skyers. Their family includes sons, Tyson Jerod and Travis Jerod, and daughter, Jordyn.
Bentley returns to the state of South Carolina after two seasons as an offensive analyst at Auburn under Gus Malzahn.
“We look forward to having Bobby back in the state of South Carolina,” said Muschamp. “He is a legendary high school coach in South Carolina who won multiple state titles. He will represent our University in a first-class manner.”
Prior to his stint at Auburn, Bentley was the head coach at James F. Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C. where he was one of the most successful high school coaches in the country. He served as an assistant for the Rebels from 1990-94 before being named head coach in 1995. He compiled a 119-54 record at Byrnes in two stints (1995-2006 and 2013) and won four-consecutive state championships from 2002-05. The Rebels posted a 57-2 record during the title streak run. Following the team’s fourth state title, Bentley was honored as Nike’s National Coach of the Year. He also was named as the South Carolina Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2006.
Bentley was named head coach at his alma mater, Presbyterian College in 2007, becoming the first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision head football coach in PC’s history. In his first year at PC, the Blue Hose ranked third nationally in both passing yards and total offense and finished in the top 15 in both scoring and passing efficiency. He logged a 10-13 mark at Presbyterian in two seasons before returning to Byrnes as offensive coordinator. He was the Rebels’ head coach for one additional season (2013) when he logged a 12-2 record and garnered a Region II-4A title.
A 1986 Byrnes alumnus, Bentley played football at Presbyterian before graduating in 1990. He and his wife, the former Paulette West, are the parents of five children:
Chas, Shuler, Jacob, Brooks and Emily.
