Daniyal Robinson - Men's Basketball Coach - University of North Texas Athletics

Daniyal Robinson

Title:
Head Coach

Updated March 24, 2026

Robinson's Records (through 2025-26 season):
Career (4 years): 84-56
UNT (1 year): 19-14

Daniyal Robinson was hired on April 4, 2025 and became North Texas' 20th head men's basketball coach.

In his first season as the Mean Green's head coach in 2025-26, Robinson was tasked with replacing the entire North Texas roster. The Mean Green were one of six teams in the country that season that did not return a single scholarship or walk-on from the previous season. Furthermore, UNT was challenged four games into the season when senior guard and leading scorer Will McClendon suffered a season ending knee injury. Robinson led UNT to a 19-14 overall record and a 9-9 conference record. North Texas finished in a tie for fifth-place in the American Conference standings and reached the quarterfinal round of the 2026 American Conference Championship.

The Mean Green won 18 regular season games in Robinson's first year. It was the most regular season wins by a first-year North Texas head coach since Bill Blakeley in 1976 — 50 years ago. Robinson led North Texas to nine conference wins in his first season, the second-most ever by a first-year UNT head coach. Additionally, UNT's fifth-place finish in the conference standings was the highest conference standings finish a first-year UNT head coach had led a Mean Green team to since 1994. UNT's .576 win percentage was the second-best ever by a first-year UNT head coach in its DI era.

In Robinson's first season the Mean Green played in a ton of close games. Sixteen of their 33 games were decided by four points or less, 10 of which were decided by a single possession (three points or less). The 16 games decided by four points or less were the most in the nation that year. In the entire history of DI college basketball, only six teams ever had played in more games decided by four points or less than UNT did in 2025-26 and no team in the history of DI college basketball had played in more than 17 games in a single season that were decided by four points or less.

North Texas' 16 games decided by four points or less was the most ever by a team from the state of Texas. UNT was 9-7 in games decided by four points or less in 2025-26.

The Mean Green played in three overtime games in Robinson's first season, two of which went into multiple overtimes. North Texas' season was ended in the American Conference Championship quarterfinal round when UNT fell to the tournament's No. 3 seed Tulsa in triple overtime, 90-84. It was only the fourth time in program history UNT had played in a triple overtime contest.

Robinson maintained North Texas' defensive identity in his first season. The Mean Green led the American Conference in scoring defense (67.4) and during the season had the league's most efficient defense, holding opponents to 1.009 points per possession. The backbone of the Mean Green defensive was forcing turnovers. UNT's defense averaged 9.33 steals per game and averaged a steal on 13.1 percent of all defensive possessions, which ranked 10th in the nation. UNT forced a turnover on 21.7 percent of all defensive possessions, which ranked seventh in the nation. UNT finished the year with 308 total steals, which was the second-most in a single season in program history nd the third-most in American conference history.

North Texas during the season had multiple notable victories. On Jan. 4 they defeated Tulsa at home 72-67, snapping the Golden Hurricanes' then 10-game winning streak. At the time of the game, Tulsa was ranked No. 38 in the NET. It was UNT's highest ranked NET win since upsetting Purdue in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

The Mean Green also had notable wins over Memphis on Feb. 12, 76-69, Florida Atlantic on Feb. 22, 73-72, and at UAB on March 1, 62-58. North Texas also defeated FAU in its conference tournament opener, 74-70, continuing its streak of consecutive seasons with a conference tournament win to seven in a row.

On the court North Texas was led by sophomore guard Je'Shawn Sevenson who transferred to UNT from Cleveland State with Robinson. Stevenson was voted American Conference Second Team All-Conference and voted to the league's All-Newcomer Team. Stevenson started every game and averaged 17.3 points per game. His 572 total points scored was the fourth-most in the league that year. Stevenson led UNT in 3-pointers with 74 and his 66 steals were the second most in program history and led the league that season.

Point guard David Terrell Jr. also had a breakout season under Robinson's guidance. The then junior who came to UNT from UTEP set single season career highs in every statistical category and became just the second player in North Texas history to score 400 points (446) and have 150 assists (160) in a single season. Terrell's 160 total assists were the fourth most in a single season in program history.

Prior to taking over the UNT program, Robinson spent three years at Cleveland State (2022-25) as the Vikings' head men's basketball coach. It was his first head coach job. While at Cleveland State, Robinson led the Vikings to three straight 20-win seasons and a 65-42 (.607) overall combined record. CSU won at least 11 Horizon Conference games each season under Robinson and went a combined 39-21 (.650) in league games over his three seasons. Robinson's 65 wins through his first three years at Cleveland State were the most by any Viking head coach in their respective first three seasons in charge, surpassing the legendary Kevin Mackey who won 64 games in his first three years.

Robinson led the Vikings to two second place finishes in the Horizon regular season standings (2023 and 2025) and led them to the semifinal round of the Horizon Conference Tournament in each of his final two years in Cleveland. They made the Horizon championship game in 2023. Every year under Robinson, CSU made the College Basketball Invitational national postseason tournament and in 2025 reached the championship game of the CBI.

Robinson ended the 2024-25 season with the second most head coaching career wins (65) in the nation among all active DI head coaches with three years or less of experience. His .607 winning percentage was also the second best among all active DI head coaches with three years or less of experience.

Over his three seasons at Cleveland State, the Vikings had 11 all-league honorees.

He was named a finalist for the 2025 Ben Jobe Award given annually to the nation's top minority head coach for the second time in his career. The Vikings had Horizon Sixth Man of the Year Chase Robinson and Freshman of the Year Je'Shawn Stevenson along with seven all-conference honorees.

In his final year at Cleveland State, Robinson led the Vikings to a 23-13 overall record and 14-6 conference record. It was CSU's most single season wins in 14 years. Cleveland State was the Horizon's top defense team, holding opponents to 66.5 ppg while finishing first in turnovers forced per game, and second in blocks, steals and opponent field goal percentage. The 15.17 turnovers created per game by CSU's defense ranked 13th nationally.

CSU ranked top two in the Horizon in offensive and defensive efficiency in his final season.

The year prior Robinson guided the Vikings to a 21-15 overall and 11-9 in Horizon record. He became the first coach in CSU history to record consecutive 20-win seasons to start his tenure.

Forward Tristan Enaruna earned first-team all-league honors before signing a free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics.

In his first season, Robinson led the Vikings to a 21-14 overall record and a 14-6 Horizon mark, finishing second in the conference. The team reached the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game and secured a program-first berth in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The 21 victories were the most by a first-year coach in Cleveland State history.

Prior to taking over the Cleveland State head coaching job, Robinson was a DI assistant coach for 21 years.

Robinson also had coaching stops at Loyola Chicago, Houston, Illinois State, and his alma mater, Arkansas-Little Rock. He helped Loyola win the CBI title in 2015 and played a key role in developing multiple NBA prospects.

From 2015-22 he served on the Iowa State coaching staff under both head coach Steve Prohm and TJ Otzelberger. While at ISU, Robinson helped lead the Cyclones to four NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet 16s. In 2017, Iowa State went 12-6 in the Big 12 and finished second in the regular season standings. They won 20 or more games in four of the seven seasons he was Ames.

The Cyclones had six players drafted into the NBA in Robinson's seven years including future all star and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton who was the No. 12 overall pick in 2020.

As a player, Robinson starred at Indian Hills Community College before transferring to Arkansas-Little Rock, where he earned a bachelor's degree in health education in 1999.

Robinson and his wife, Kim, have three children: Devyn, Reece and Reid. Devyn played volleyball at Wisconsin where she led the Badgers to the 2021 national championship and was a two-time AVCA all-American and a four-time NCAA All-Regional honoree.