Photo by: Zach Del Bello / Mean Green Sports
MBB Practice Profiles: D Rob Quick Facts
9/23/2025 12:50:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DENTON — Tuesday marks the first official practice for the UNT men's basketball team under first-year Mean Green head coach Daniyal Robinson.
With the 2025-26 season opener 42 days away, let's refresh on what makes Robinson one of the best young men's basketball head coaches.
Daniyal Robinson Quick Shots
- Born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois, which is directly across the Mississippi River from Davenport, Iowa
- Robinson began his college playing career at Indian Hills Community College and then transferred to Little Rock for his junior and senior seasons, graduating in 1998. While at Little Rock Robinson played for Wimp Sanderson. He played in 56 games over his two seasons with the Trojans and started 37 of them. In his two seasons at Little Rock, Robinson and the Trojans won 58 percent of their games and reached the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament each season.
- He was hired on April 4, 2025, to be UNT's 20th head men's basketball coach
- Arrived to Denton after three seasons as Cleveland State's head coach (2022-25) where he led the Vikings to a 65-42 overall record
- CSU won at least 21 games every season under Robinson, who became the first Vikings head coach since Kevin Mackey in 1985-88 to lead CSU to three straight 20-win seasons. Mackey famously led CSU to the 1986 Sweet 16, beating Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers and Jim Boyle's Saint Joseph's Hawks along the way
- Robinson's 65 career head coaching victories are the second most in the nation among active head coaches with three years or less of experience. Furthermore, his .607 winning percentage is also the second best among all active DI head coaches with three years or less of experience.
- Robinson's 65 wins at Cleveland State were the most by a Vikings head coach in their respective first three years
- Last season Robinson led Cleveland State to a 23-win season. It was the Vikings most single season wins in 13 years, and the fifth-most single season wins in the program's history, which began in 1972
-Cleveland State finished last season ranked 154th in KenPom. It was the program's highest end of season KenPom ranking in 10 seasons. It was also a 43-spot improvement from where Cleveland State was ranked prior to his arrival
- Last season Robinson led Cleveland State to 13 straight wins between Dec. 7 and Jan. 30. It was the program's second longest win streak ever. The streak last year included 11 straight wins against Horizon League opponents.
- Cleveland State was the Horizon League regular season runner-up in two of his three seasons at the helm of the program
- Robinson led CSU to 14 conference wins in 2023 and again in 2025. It's the fourth-most single season conference wins in CSU history
- In his three seasons at CSU the Vikings posted a combined 39-21 (.650) record against league opponents
- Robinson led CSU to three straight CBI appearances, including reaching the title game in 2025. He became the first CSU head coach to lead the Vikings to three straight NCAA national postseason tournament appearances since Kevin Mackey in 1986-88
-Prior to being Cleveland State's head coach, Robinson served on the staff at Iowa State from 2015-22 under T.J. Otzelberger and Steve Prohm. It was his Robinson's stint with Cyclones. He first was on Greg McDermott's ISU staff from 2008-10.
-During his second stint at ISU, Robinson helped lead the Cyclones to two Big 12 Tournament titles, and reach four NCAA Tournaments, including the 2016 and 2022 Sweet 16.
- In his 22 years as a DI men's basketball coach, Robinson has guided 15 players to the NBA, including 2-time NBA All-Star and NBA Draft lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton
Defensive First Head Coach
-Cleveland State held opponents last season to 1.045 points per possession. The Vikings defense turned opponents over 21.9 percent of the time, which was the 10th best in the nation. Every year under Robinson the Vikings turned opponents over at least 20 percent of the time.
-Cleveland State's defense last year stole the ball 12.1 percent of the time, which ranked 35th best in the nation
-Last season then CSU freshman Je'Shawn Stevenson, who now plays for UNT, stole the ball 4.2 percent of all possessions he was on the floor, which was the nation's 32nd highest percentage in the nation
-During Robinson's tenure at Cleveland State, the Vikings held opponents to an average of 69.4 points per game over the three seasons
-In his final season at CSU, the Vikings held opponents to average of 66.5 points per game, which ranked 37th in the nation
Top Two On Both Ends
-Cleveland State last year was the Horizon League's most efficient offense (1.121 points per possession) and its second-most efficient defense (1.020 points per possession)
-CSU also last year
Protecting Home Court
-Under Daniyal Robinson the Vikings posted a 41-10 combined home record over his three seasons. The 41 home wins by the Vikings between 2022-25 ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation
-In home conference games Cleveland State posted a combined 24-6 (.800) record under Daniyal Robinson in his three seasons. The 24 home conference wins were the 12th most in the nation between 2022-25
Looks To The Bench
-Last season at Cleveland State, 10 different Vikings played in at least 25 games, nine of which averaged more than 10 minutes per contest. CSU last year averaged 25.7 bench points per game, which led the Horizon League and ranked 48th in the nation. Then CSU freshman guard Je'Shawn Stevenson, who now plays for the Mean Green, scored 353 total points off the bench last year for the Vikings. That was the fifth-most individual bench points last year in the nation and easily the most by a freshman
On His Bench
-One of Robinson's assistant coaches is a former player of his, Deshon Parker, who is a 2023 graduate of Cleveland State where he played for Robinson. Parker, who also served last season as Robinson's assistant coach at Cleveland State, is the youngest full-time assistant coach in the nation.
Family
-Daniyal Robinson's son Reece will be a sophomore on the Mean Green team this coming season. Reece is one of 20 active college basketball players whose father is their head coach. Reece played last season at CSU under his father and was named to the Horizon League All Freshman Team after averaging 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Vikings.
-Daniyal Robinson's daughter Devyn won a volleyball national championship at Wisconsin in 2021. She was a three-time All-American, three-time NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team selection and a four-time All-Big Ten honoree for the Badgers. As a freshman she was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team.
- Robinson's youngest son is a junior in high school
With the 2025-26 season opener 42 days away, let's refresh on what makes Robinson one of the best young men's basketball head coaches.
Daniyal Robinson Quick Shots
- Born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois, which is directly across the Mississippi River from Davenport, Iowa
- Robinson began his college playing career at Indian Hills Community College and then transferred to Little Rock for his junior and senior seasons, graduating in 1998. While at Little Rock Robinson played for Wimp Sanderson. He played in 56 games over his two seasons with the Trojans and started 37 of them. In his two seasons at Little Rock, Robinson and the Trojans won 58 percent of their games and reached the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament each season.
- He was hired on April 4, 2025, to be UNT's 20th head men's basketball coach
- Arrived to Denton after three seasons as Cleveland State's head coach (2022-25) where he led the Vikings to a 65-42 overall record
- CSU won at least 21 games every season under Robinson, who became the first Vikings head coach since Kevin Mackey in 1985-88 to lead CSU to three straight 20-win seasons. Mackey famously led CSU to the 1986 Sweet 16, beating Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers and Jim Boyle's Saint Joseph's Hawks along the way
- Robinson's 65 career head coaching victories are the second most in the nation among active head coaches with three years or less of experience. Furthermore, his .607 winning percentage is also the second best among all active DI head coaches with three years or less of experience.
- Robinson's 65 wins at Cleveland State were the most by a Vikings head coach in their respective first three years
- Last season Robinson led Cleveland State to a 23-win season. It was the Vikings most single season wins in 13 years, and the fifth-most single season wins in the program's history, which began in 1972
-Cleveland State finished last season ranked 154th in KenPom. It was the program's highest end of season KenPom ranking in 10 seasons. It was also a 43-spot improvement from where Cleveland State was ranked prior to his arrival
- Last season Robinson led Cleveland State to 13 straight wins between Dec. 7 and Jan. 30. It was the program's second longest win streak ever. The streak last year included 11 straight wins against Horizon League opponents.
- Cleveland State was the Horizon League regular season runner-up in two of his three seasons at the helm of the program
- Robinson led CSU to 14 conference wins in 2023 and again in 2025. It's the fourth-most single season conference wins in CSU history
- In his three seasons at CSU the Vikings posted a combined 39-21 (.650) record against league opponents
- Robinson led CSU to three straight CBI appearances, including reaching the title game in 2025. He became the first CSU head coach to lead the Vikings to three straight NCAA national postseason tournament appearances since Kevin Mackey in 1986-88
-Prior to being Cleveland State's head coach, Robinson served on the staff at Iowa State from 2015-22 under T.J. Otzelberger and Steve Prohm. It was his Robinson's stint with Cyclones. He first was on Greg McDermott's ISU staff from 2008-10.
-During his second stint at ISU, Robinson helped lead the Cyclones to two Big 12 Tournament titles, and reach four NCAA Tournaments, including the 2016 and 2022 Sweet 16.
- In his 22 years as a DI men's basketball coach, Robinson has guided 15 players to the NBA, including 2-time NBA All-Star and NBA Draft lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton
Defensive First Head Coach
-Cleveland State held opponents last season to 1.045 points per possession. The Vikings defense turned opponents over 21.9 percent of the time, which was the 10th best in the nation. Every year under Robinson the Vikings turned opponents over at least 20 percent of the time.
-Cleveland State's defense last year stole the ball 12.1 percent of the time, which ranked 35th best in the nation
-Last season then CSU freshman Je'Shawn Stevenson, who now plays for UNT, stole the ball 4.2 percent of all possessions he was on the floor, which was the nation's 32nd highest percentage in the nation
-During Robinson's tenure at Cleveland State, the Vikings held opponents to an average of 69.4 points per game over the three seasons
-In his final season at CSU, the Vikings held opponents to average of 66.5 points per game, which ranked 37th in the nation
Top Two On Both Ends
-Cleveland State last year was the Horizon League's most efficient offense (1.121 points per possession) and its second-most efficient defense (1.020 points per possession)
-CSU also last year
Protecting Home Court
-Under Daniyal Robinson the Vikings posted a 41-10 combined home record over his three seasons. The 41 home wins by the Vikings between 2022-25 ranked in the top 10 percent in the nation
-In home conference games Cleveland State posted a combined 24-6 (.800) record under Daniyal Robinson in his three seasons. The 24 home conference wins were the 12th most in the nation between 2022-25
Looks To The Bench
-Last season at Cleveland State, 10 different Vikings played in at least 25 games, nine of which averaged more than 10 minutes per contest. CSU last year averaged 25.7 bench points per game, which led the Horizon League and ranked 48th in the nation. Then CSU freshman guard Je'Shawn Stevenson, who now plays for the Mean Green, scored 353 total points off the bench last year for the Vikings. That was the fifth-most individual bench points last year in the nation and easily the most by a freshman
On His Bench
-One of Robinson's assistant coaches is a former player of his, Deshon Parker, who is a 2023 graduate of Cleveland State where he played for Robinson. Parker, who also served last season as Robinson's assistant coach at Cleveland State, is the youngest full-time assistant coach in the nation.
Family
-Daniyal Robinson's son Reece will be a sophomore on the Mean Green team this coming season. Reece is one of 20 active college basketball players whose father is their head coach. Reece played last season at CSU under his father and was named to the Horizon League All Freshman Team after averaging 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Vikings.
-Daniyal Robinson's daughter Devyn won a volleyball national championship at Wisconsin in 2021. She was a three-time All-American, three-time NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team selection and a four-time All-Big Ten honoree for the Badgers. As a freshman she was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team.
- Robinson's youngest son is a junior in high school
Players Mentioned
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