Steve Robinson has been there for two of the top basketball programs in the country. He was an assistant coach under Roy Williams at Kansas and then later followed him to UNC.
This past week, Robinson said he would retire from the game he loves. He had been serving as assistant at the University of Arizona.
Robinson served as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Tulsa from 1995 to 1997 and Florida State from 1997 to 2002. He was an assistant to Williams for 26 years, including at the University of Kansas (1988–1995 and 2002–2003), and at North Carolina following Williams’s move from Kansas in 2003.
Robinson assisted the North Carolina Tar Heels to three NCAA Division tournament titles, in 2005, 2009, and 2017. As a head coach, Robinson led his teams to the NCAA tournament three times, twice with Tulsa and once with Florida State. In 1997, he was named WAC Mountain Division Coach of the year. But many fans in the New River Valley remember his earlier start.
He grew up in Roanoke and attended William Fleming High School, earning his bachelor’s degree in health and physical science from Radford University in 1981, followed by a master’s degree in counseling in 1985. Robinson played at Ferrum College from 1978 to 1980, and then at Radford University from 1980 to 1981. He would join Joe Davis’ staff at RU and stayed there until1986 before leaving for Cornell for two years. Robinson was one of the first scholarship athletes ever at Radford University and was a two-year starter and co-captain for the men’s basketball team from 1978-80, averaging 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 54 games. Robinson averaged 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds during one of Radford’s greatest seasons ever, the 23-4 year in 1978-79, under coach Joe Davis.
He hit 51.7 percent of his field goals and later distinguished himself as an assistant coach at RU from 1983-86. Robinson led the University of Tulsa to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances before landing the head coaching position at Florida State University in July. He was inducted to the RU Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and once served on the RU Board of Visitors.
Now, he will look to find a new hobby in retirement.
