Craig Robinson (basketball)

Craig Robinson
Craig Robinson
Born	Craig Malcolm Robinson; April 21, 1962 (age 64); Calumet Park, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	College basketball coach, basketball executive, sports broadcaster
Years active	1980s–present
Known for	Head coach at Oregon State University and Brown University; executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches; brother of Michelle Obama

Craig Malcolm Robinson (born April 21, 1962) is an American figure known for his roles as a college basketball coach, basketball executive, and sports broadcaster. He has held head coaching positions for men's basketball teams at both Oregon State University and Brown University. During the early 1980s, Robinson distinguished himself as a forward at Princeton University. In the 1990s, he pursued a career as a bond trader. Presently, he holds the position of executive director at the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is also recognized as the brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama and brother-in-law to the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama.

Early years

Born on April 21, 1962, in Calumet Park, Illinois, Craig Malcolm Robinson is the son of Fraser Robinson, who worked at a municipal water plant and served as a Democratic precinct captain, and Marian Robinson (née Shields), who was employed as a secretary at Spiegel's catalog store. He spent his childhood in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood alongside his younger sister, Michelle. Demonstrating early academic aptitude, Robinson was reading by age four and skipped the second grade. He completed his secondary education at the parochial Mount Carmel High School in 1979.

When selecting a university, Robinson’s father advised him to enroll at Princeton University due to its prestigious Ivy League education rather than accepting basketball scholarship offers from notable programs like the University of Washington or Purdue University.

Playing career

At Princeton University, Robinson earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors twice between 1981 and 1983. He led the league in field goal percentage during both seasons and ranked fourth in all-time scoring for Princeton. Graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, his senior thesis explored social stratification within prison systems. During Michael Jordan’s comeback preparations, Robinson and his teammate John W. Rogers, Jr. had the opportunity to practice alongside Jordan.

Although selected in the fourth round of the 1983 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Robinson never appeared in an NBA game. Instead, he played professionally for two seasons with the Manchester Giants in the British Basketball League. Following this, he returned to the United States to serve as an assistant coach at the Illinois Institute of Technology from 1988 through 1990.

Business career, marriages, and family

Guided by Princeton coach Pete Carril, Robinson shifted his focus from athletics to finance by obtaining an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1992. Throughout the 1990s, he worked as a bond trader and held vice presidential positions at both Continental Illinois Bank (1990–1992) and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (1992–1999). Later, he advanced to managing director and partner at Loop Capital Markets, a boutique investment banking firm owned by minorities.

Robinson’s sister Michelle introduced him to Barack Obama before Obama’s presidency. Through basketball activities, Robinson assessed Obama’s character—a perspective that contributed to Obama’s public image—describing him as quietly self-assured, unselfish, and a natural leader.

While achieving significant financial success with six-figure earnings during his business career, Robinson remained connected to basketball by scouting for Princeton and coaching at University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Despite professional accomplishments, he encountered personal difficulties including a divorce from his first wife Janis by 2000. From this marriage, he has two children: Avery (born 1992) and Leslie (born 1996), with Leslie later playing for Princeton Tigers women's basketball.

In June 2006, Robinson married Kelly; together they have two sons named Austin (born 2010) and Aaron (born 2012).

Basketball career

In 1999, Robinson resumed his coaching career, accepting a salary that was only a fraction of his previous earnings. He spent six years as an assistant coach under Bill Carmody at Northwestern University, where he distinguished himself as a skilled recruiter. In 2006, Robinson took over as head coach at Brown University, where he adopted a modified version of the Princeton offense inspired by Pete Carril. His coaching philosophy focused on instilling strong work ethics, applying firm but caring discipline, and expanding players' basketball terminology. For the 2006–2007 season, Robinson was honored with the Ivy League Coach of the Year award after guiding Brown to a fifth-place finish and then elevating the team to second place the following year with a program-record 19 victories.

During the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign, Robinson actively supported his brother-in-law by campaigning in crucial states and introducing his sister Michelle at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which brought him national recognition. He was also featured on stage following Obama’s victory speech in Grant Park.

Robinson was appointed head coach of the Oregon State Beavers on April 7, 2008, following a season without any conference wins in the Pacific-10. Jesse Agel, his assistant, took over at Brown. Robinson’s inaugural season included a notable victory over USC that ended a two-year Pac-10 losing streak and earned him a congratulatory call from President-elect Obama. His offensive approach boosted Oregon State’s field goal percentage by nearly ten points. The team surpassed expectations by finishing with an 18–18 record and capturing the 2009 College Basketball Invitational (CBI) championship—their first postseason tournament title.

In July 2009, President Obama praised Robinson’s coaching achievements and predicted interest from other programs. The 2009–10 campaign was marked by inconsistency, concluding with an 8–10 record in conference play and an early exit from the Pac-10 tournament. Although invited to defend their CBI championship, Oregon State was eliminated in the first round and ended with a 14–18 overall record.

Robinson secured a two-year contract extension in March 2010, extending through the 2015–16 season. The following month, he released his memoir titled A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond.

The 2010–11 season resulted in a decline for Oregon State, finishing ninth in the conference with a disappointing overall record; however, Robinson remained hopeful about player progress. The Obamas demonstrated their support by attending a game in November 2011. The subsequent season saw Oregon State achieve a program-best 21 wins despite continued struggles within conference play. Star guard Jared Cunningham was selected in the 2012 NBA draft—the first Oregon State player chosen in over ten years. That year also marked the beginning of construction on a $15 million basketball practice facility championed by Robinson alongside previous coaches.

Ahead of the 2012–13 season, Robinson described his roster as "probably the best I’ve had," yet the team endured one of its poorest campaigns with disappointing finishes and dwindling attendance figures. They finished last in the conference with a 14–18 overall record amid public calls for coaching changes; nevertheless, university officials voiced their continued support for Robinson. During this period, he also contributed as a studio analyst for CBS Sports Network during the NCAA tournament.

The 2013–14 season brought improvement to a .500 overall record but included a sixth consecutive losing record in conference play and losses of key players due to graduation and transfers. In March 2014, Robinson led a Pac-12 all-star squad on a tour of China. On May 5, 2014, Oregon State relieved Robinson of his coaching duties; he received a $4 million buyout for the remainder of his contract. Although he did not lead the team to NCAA or NIT tournament appearances during his tenure, his 93–104 record ranked him as the fourth-winningest coach in program history.

Following his coaching career, Robinson transitioned into executive roles within the NBA, joining the Milwaukee Bucks as vice president of player and organizational development in August 2016. After one season there, he accepted a comparable position with the New York Knicks.

Broadcasting career

On October 7, 2014, Robinson joined ESPN as an analyst specializing in college basketball. His responsibilities included providing commentary during game broadcasts and participating in studio programming on ESPNU.

Post-coaching career

Robinson was named executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches on July 13, 2020.

Personal life

Robinson is the elder sibling of former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and brother-in-law to former President Barack Obama. He has been married twice and is a father to four children.

External links