Craig Robinson (basketball)

Craig Robinson

Robinson at Oregon State, 2008
Sport(s) Basketball
Biographical details
Born April 21, 1962
Chicago, Illinois
Playing career
1979–1983 Princeton
Position(s) Forward
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1988–1990
1999–2000
2000–2006
2006–2008
2008–2014		 IIT (asst.)
Chicago Laboratory Schools
Northwestern (asst.)
Brown
Oregon State
Head coaching record
Overall 122–128 (.488)

Craig Malcolm Robinson (born April 21, 1962) is an American college basketball coach and broadcaster. He is a former head men's basketball coach at Oregon State University and Brown University. He was a star forward as a player at Princeton University in the early 1980s and a bond trader during the 1990s. He currently works as an analyst for ESPN.

He is the older brother of U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, and the brother-in-law of U.S. President Barack Obama. Robinson has been married twice and has four children.

Early years

Robinson was born on April 21, 1962, in Chicago, Illinois, to Fraser Robinson, a city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain, and Marian Robinson (née Shields), a secretary at Spiegel's catalog store.[1] He grew up in the South Shore community area of Chicago,[1][2] with his sister Michelle, who was 22 months younger. He learned to read by the age of four at home, and skipped the second grade in school.[1] He attended the parochial Mount Carmel High School, graduating in 1979.[3]

When he was considering what college to go to, his father insisted that he attend Princeton University for its superior academic reputation, rather than either the University of Washington or Purdue University, which offered scholarships and major conference play.[4]

Playing career

Robinson, who stands 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) and played at forward, was a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year at Princeton University, in 1981–1982 and 1982–1983,[4] leading the league in field goal percentage both years.[5] He is the fourth highest scorer in school history.[1] He graduated in 1983 with a B.A. in Sociology.[5] His senior thesis was on social stratification in prisons.[6] Robinson and former teammate John W. Rogers, Jr. were among those invited to practice with Michael Jordan as he prepared for his comeback.[7]

Robinson was drafted in the fourth round of the 1983 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers,[8] but never played in the league. He played professionally for the Manchester Giants in the British Basketball League for two seasons,[4] and returned to the U.S. in 1988 to become an assistant coach at the Illinois Institute of Technology, a position he held until 1990.[5]

Business career, marriage and family

Robinson at the 2009 Obama Home State Inauguration Ball

Robinson left basketball partly on the advice of his Princeton coach Pete Carril[4] and pursued a business degree, earning an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1992.[5]

His sister Michelle had begun dating her law firm colleague, Barack Obama, who played basketball recreationally. She asked her brother to play with Obama and give her a character assessment so that she would know whether she could become serious with him.[9][10] He gave an encouraging report to her.[11][12] As he later related, "When I played basketball with Barack, he was quietly confident, which means he had good self-esteem without being cocky. He was certainly a team player – he wasn't a pig, he passed when he was supposed to pass, and he cut when he was supposed to cut. To me, that speaks to a lack of selfishness. He had natural leadership ability, because he didn't just pass me the ball because he was dating my sister. Whenever a player gets tired, he reverts to the player he truly is. That's how you tell. And we played for hours. That's how I could tell."[9] The story of this pick-up game and of a 'test' being passed became a key part of the Obama narrative.[9] Robinson worked in the 1990s as a bond trader. He became a vice president at Continental Bank and worked there from 1990 to 1992.[5][11] He was then a vice president, from 1992 to 1999, at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.[4] Later he was a managing director and partner at Loop Capital Markets, a minority-owned boutique investment banking firm.[4][11]

He kept a hand in basketball, by doing area scouting for Princeton and coaching one year at University of Chicago High School.[4] He earned a high six-figure income in his business career, but eventually decided the financial world had lost its appeal, and found his luxury lifestyle was not enough to save his marriage.[13] By 2000, Robinson was going through a divorce.[4] Robinson has two children from his first marriage, a son Avery (born 1992) and daughter Leslie (born 1996).[14] Robinson remarried in June 2006, to his wife Kelly.[3] They became parents of sons Austin in 2010[15] and Aaron in 2012.[16] His daughter Leslie, as of March 2015, is a freshman forward on the Princeton Tigers women's basketball team.[17]

Coaching career

Robinson returned to coaching in 1999, making one-tenth his former salary.[13] He was an assistant for six years to Bill Carmody at Northwestern University,[8][13] where he was an effective recruiter.[11] He then became a head coach at Brown University in 2006, where he ran a variation of the Princeton offense which he learned from Pete Carril during his years at Princeton. In improving a mid-level basketball program,[10] he stressed work ethic, used tough love, and tried to improve the players' vocabulary.[13] A fifth-place placing with a strong finish to the season garnered Robinson the Ivy League men's basketball Coach of the Year for the 2006–2007 season by Basketball-U.com.[8] The following year, the Brown Bears finished second in the league, and their 19 wins for the season was a team record.[13]

Robinson introducing his sister, Michelle Obama, at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

He assisted his brother-in-law throughout the latter's 2008 presidential campaign, including campaigning for him during the Iowa caucuses and campaigning and giving speeches for him in a number of other states, sometimes combining campaigning with recruiting visits.[11][13] He introduced his sister Michelle before her speech on August 25, 2008, the first night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention,[18] which gave him his largest national exposure.[19] He was also on stage following Obama's victory speech in Grant Park after his election as president on November 4, 2008.[13]

On April 7, 2008, Robinson was hired as the Oregon State Beavers' head basketball coach[14] following the team's winless Pacific-10 Conference record and overall 6–25 mark the year before.[13] (Jesse Agel, Robinson's assistant of two years, took over Robinson's former position at Brown).[13] Robinson acknowledged that his political connections might enhance Oregon State's recruiting efforts.[13]

Oregon State got off to a fairly good start in Robinson's first year, starting with a 6–6 record; a January 2009 conference win over USC broke a nearly two-year Pac-10 losing streak and earned Robinson a congratulatory call from then-President-elect Obama.[20] Robinson continued his tough love approach, tailored to strengthening each player's weaknesses.[9] After that first win, Robinson's team won another six Pac-10 games, exceeding expectations for his first year on the job given that his personnel was essentially unchanged from the team's prior year.[21] One key was that the offensive system he installed raised the team's collective field goal percentage almost 10 points.[21] Some commentators felt he was deserving of consideration for the Pac-10 Coach of the Year award,[21] and by late February Robinson had hopes of the team getting a bid from one of the postseason tournaments.[22] The team was indeed accepted into the 2009 College Basketball Invitational, where it went on to post a 5–1 record and captured its first post-season tournament championship ever with a final series victory over the UTEP Miners.[23] Of the win, Robinson said, "I can't tell you how proud I am of these guys. ... This is a great story for anybody."[24] The Beavers finished with an 18–18 record for the season,[23] and had what Rivals.com deemed a top-25 recruiting class as well.[24]

In July 2009, President Obama alluded to the possibility of Robinson coaching elsewhere, by saying: "Craig Robinson is an outstanding coach. ... Anybody in Oregon and anybody who knows sports knows he turned it around. He loves Corvallis and I'm sure that as a young, successful coach he's going to start getting offers."[25] Oregon State's 2009–10 season featured an inconsistent level play in a conference dominated by parity, leading to an 8–10 regular season conference record for a tie for fifth place. They then lost in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament. Despite the losing record, the team was invited to defend their championship at the 2010 College Basketball Invitational,[26] but lacked focus and energy and were beaten easily in the first round,[27] leaving them with an overall season record of 14–18.

In March 2010, shortly before the end of the season, the university and Robinson agreed on a two-year contract extension that would keep him in place through the 2015–16 season.[28] In April 2010, Robinson published his memoir, A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond.[29]

The 2010–2011 season was one of regression for Oregon State, with the team falling to a 5–13, ninth place finish in the conference and a sharply losing record overall. However Robinson professed to not being overly worried or disappointed, saying he was encouraged by the development of some of the underclassmen.[30] The Obamas showed their support for Robinson by attending an Oregon State game against Towson in November 2011.[31] The 2011–2012 season saw a Robinson-era best for overall wins, 21, including a pair in the 2012 College Basketball Invitational, but a fourth consecutive losing record within the conference. It was the highest win total for the team since 1990,[32] and the completion of it saw star guard Jared Cunningham leaving after his junior season and being selected in the NBA Draft,[33] the first Beaver to be drafted in over a decade. In June 2012, construction began on a $15 million basketball practice facility that Robinson and previous coaches had long been campaigning for.[32]

Prior to the 2012–2013 season, Robinson characterized his squad as "probably the best team I've had."[34] But the Beavers went in the opposite direction by suffering one of their worst seasons ever, with a penchant for second-half collapses and end-of-game failures.[34] Attendance at Gill Coliseum fell to half capacity and the student section lost enthusiasm.[34] The team finished with a dead-last 4–14 record in the conference and a 14–18 mark overall. Fans began calling for a change in coaches, but the university athletic director said, "Coach Robinson is our coach, and this administration is in full support of him."[34] Following the season, Robinson appeared on the CBS Sports Network as a studio analyst during the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament.[35]

The 2013–2014 season saw the team improve to a 16–16 mark overall but have its sixth consecutive losing season in the conference. The team faced the loss of all five of its starters and its five top scorers following the season, due to graduation, transfers, and the like.[36][37] The team had failed to make the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or even the National Invitation Tournament during Robinson's tenure.[37] His overall 93–104 record did make him the fourth-winningest coach in team history.[37]

On May 5, 2014, Robinson was fired from his position as the Oregon State men's head basketball coach.[36] He was given a $4 million buyout of the three remaining years on his contract.[37] Benjamin Schorzman, a sportswriter for Eugene, Oregon's Register-Guard, said he was surprised Robinson lasted six years: "Robinson just couldn't deliver on any of his promises when he was hired. Frankly I think his relationship to the Obamas was the only reason he lasted six years because Oregon State was middling to bad every year."[38]

Broadcasting career

On October 7, 2014, ESPN announced the hiring of Robinson as a college basketball analyst.[39] There he began to work broadcasting games and doing studio work on ESPNU.[40]

Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Brown (Ivy League) (2006–2008)
2006–07 Brown 11–18 6–8 5th
2007–08 Brown 19–10 11–3 2nd CBI first round
Brown: 30–28 (.517) 17–11 (.607)
Oregon State (Pacific-10/Pacific-12) (2008–2014)
2008–09 Oregon State 18–18 7–11 8th CBI champions
2009–10 Oregon State 14–18 8–10 5th CBI first round
2010–11 Oregon State 10–19 5–13 9th
2011–12 Oregon State 21–15 7–11 9th CBI semifinals
2012–13 Oregon State 14–18 4–14 12th
2013–14 Oregon State 16–16 8–10 10th CBI first round
Oregon State: 93–104 (.469) 39–69 (.362)
Total: 123–132 (.482)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Rossi, Rosalind (January 20, 2007). "The woman behind Obama". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
  2. ↑ Finnegan, William (May 31, 2004). "The Candidate: How the Son of a Kenyan Economist Became an Illinois Everyman". Retrieved January 22, 2008.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Reynolds, Bill (February 14, 2008). "He’s much more than Obama’s brother-in-law". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Thamel, Pete (February 16, 2007). "Coach With a Link to Obama Has Hope for Brown’s Future". The New York Times.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Men's Basketball: Craig Robinson". Oregon State Beavers. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  6. ↑ Solomon, Deborah (April 19, 2010). "The First Coach". The New York Times Magazine.
  7. ↑ Bernstein, Mark F. (December 5, 2001). "Playin’ pickup with His Airness: Alumni helped Michael Jordan back into playing shape". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Craig Robinson named Ivy League Men's Basketball Coach of the Year by Basketball-U". Brown Bears. March 14, 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Klosterman, Chuck (January 16, 2009). "Craig Robinson: America's First Coach". Esquire.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Tucker, Eric (March 1, 2007). "Family ties: Brown coach, Barack Obama". Associated Press for The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Katz, Andy (September 13, 2007). "Brown coach Robinson coaching brother-in-law Obama, too". ESPN.
  12. ↑ Robinson, Craig (December 17, 2008). "Person of the Year 2008: B-Ball with Barack". Time (Time Inc.). Retrieved January 7, 2009.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Thamel, Pete (November 8, 2008). "He Helped Elect a President; Now Comes a Harder Job". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Craig Robinson Era Begins at Oregon State". Oregon State Beavers. April 7, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
  15. ↑ Shapiro, Lila (January 6, 2010). "Austin Robinson: Obama Nephew Born". The Huffington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Craig Robinson welcomes baby Aaron Lamar Robinson". KVAL-TV. February 14, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  17. ↑ http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk/with-obama-on-hand-princeton-beats-green-bay-80-70-in-ncaas/ar-BBixRtB
  18. ↑ Halperin, Mark (August 2008). "Scorecard: First-Night Speeches: Craig Robinson: Grade: B+". Time. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  19. ↑ Doyle, Leonard (August 26, 2008). "An Obama family affair in Denver". London: The Independent.
  20. ↑ "Family ties: Obama calls Oregon State coach". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. January 7, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Oregon State's Craig Robinson should receive Pac-10 coach of year honor". Statesman Journal. February 18, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  22. ↑ Kirkpatrick, Cliff (February 22, 2009). "Beavers stun Bears". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Oregon State stops UTEP to win CBI series title". ESPN. Associated Press. April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Buker, Paul (April 3, 2009). "White House visit unlikely, but OSU lives it up as CBI champion after upset of UTEP in Game 3". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  25. ↑ Pope, Charlie (July 1, 2009). "Obama on Oregon State's Robinson: 'He's going to start getting offers'". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 9, 2009.
  26. ↑ "Oregon State to open CBI vs. BU". ESPN. Associated Press. March 15, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  27. ↑ Andress, Steve (March 17, 2010). "Beavs Slammed Out of CBI by Boston U.". KEZI-TV. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Robinson agrees to contract extension". ESPN. Associated Press. March 2, 2010. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  29. ↑ Martin, Michel (April 27, 2010). "'First Brother-In-Law' Craig Robinson Talks Family, Character". Tell Me More (NPR). Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  30. ↑ Buker, Paul (February 27, 2011). "Oregon State Sunday rundown: Craig Robinson says all remaining games for the Beavers are winnable". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  31. ↑ "Have a Heart". Mrs-O.com. November 26, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Hunt, John (June 25, 2012). "OSU finally gets shovels ready for practice facility". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  33. ↑ Rothstein, Jon (August 1, 2012). "Oregon State Ready To Move On Without Cunningham". WCBS-TV. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Hunt, John (March 19, 2013). "Craig Robinson is banking on a turnaround". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  35. ↑ Lepore, Steve (March 22, 2013). "CBS Sports Network adds Craig Robinson to NCAA Tournament coverage". SB Nation. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Brother of Michelle Obama fired as basketball coach at Oregon State". Fox News. May 5, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 Goodman, Jeff (May 5, 2014). "Oregon State fires Craig Robinson". ESPN. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Michelle Obama’s Brother Left Oregon State's NCAA Basketball Program in Shambles". Washington Free Beacon. 19 March 2015.
  39. ↑ "Former College Basketball Head Coaches Stan Heath & Craig Robinson Join ESPN" (Press release). ESPN. October 7, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  40. ↑ Sherman, Ed (October 7, 2014). "ESPN hires Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson". Chicago Tribune.

External links