Craig Robinson (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Craig Robinson

Robinson at the 2009 Obama Home State Inauguration Ball
Biographical details
Born	(1962-04-21) April 21, 1962 (age 63) DeYoung, Illinois, U.S.
Playing career
1979–1983	Princeton
Position(s)	Forward
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1988–1990	IIT (asst.)
1999–2000	Chicago Lab School
2000–2006	Northwestern (asst.)
2006–2008	Brown
2008–2014	Oregon State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2016–2017	Milwaukee Bucks (VP, player/org. development)
2017–2020	New York Knicks (VP, player/org. development)
Head coaching record
Overall	122–128 (.488)

Craig Malcolm Robinson (born April 21, 1962) is an American college basketball coach, a leader in basketball organizations, and a sports announcer. He used to be the head men's basketball coach at Oregon State University and Brown University. Before coaching, he was a great basketball player at Princeton University in the early 1980s. He also worked as a bond trader in the 1990s.

Today, he is the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Craig Robinson is also the older brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama. This makes him the brother-in-law of the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama.

Early Life and School

Craig Malcolm Robinson was born on April 21, 1962, in Calumet Park, Illinois. His father, Fraser Robinson, worked for the city water plant. His mother, Marian Robinson, was a secretary. Craig grew up in Chicago's South Shore with his younger sister, Michelle.

He learned to read very early, by age four. He even skipped the second grade in school. Craig went to Mount Carmel High School, a private school, and finished in 1979.

When it was time for college, his father really wanted him to go to Princeton University. Princeton is a very famous school known for its strong academics. Even though other universities offered him basketball scholarships, his father believed Princeton was the best choice for his education.

Playing Basketball in College

Craig Robinson was an amazing basketball player at Princeton University. He was named the best player in the Ivy League conference twice, in 1981–1982 and 1982–1983. He was also the best at making shots from the field in both those years. He is the fourth highest scorer in Princeton's basketball history.

In 1983, he earned a college degree in Sociology. His final project was about how people are grouped in prisons. After college, Craig and his former teammate John W. Rogers, Jr. were even invited to practice with basketball legend Michael Jordan. This happened when Jordan was getting ready to return to playing.

Craig was chosen by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1983 NBA draft. However, he never played in the NBA. Instead, he played professional basketball for two seasons in England for the Manchester Giants. He came back to the U.S. in 1988. He then became an assistant coach at the Illinois Institute of Technology until 1990.

Working in Business and Family Life

Craig Robinson in 2008, when he was coaching at Oregon State.

After playing basketball, Craig Robinson decided to try a career in business. His Princeton coach, Pete Carril, even suggested it. Craig went to the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and earned a master's degree in Finance in 1992.

In the 1990s, Craig worked as a bond trader. This means he bought and sold bonds, which are like loans that companies or governments use to raise money. He was a vice president at Continental Illinois Bank from 1990 to 1992. Then, he was a vice president at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter from 1992 to 1999. Later, he became a partner at Loop Capital Markets, a special investment banking company.

When Craig's sister, Michelle, started dating Barack Obama, she asked Craig to play basketball with Barack. She wanted Craig to tell her what he thought of Barack's personality. Craig gave her a very positive report. He said Barack was confident but not boastful. He was a great team player, always passing the ball and working with others. Craig felt this showed Barack was not selfish. This basketball game became a famous part of the Obama family story.

Even while working in business, Craig stayed involved in basketball. He helped scout players for Princeton and coached for one year at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. He earned a lot of money in his business career. However, he eventually felt that the financial world was not as exciting anymore.

Craig has two children from his first marriage: a son named Avery (born 1992) and a daughter named Leslie (born 1996). In June 2006, Craig married his current wife, Kelly. They have two sons, Austin (born 2010) and Aaron (born 2012). His daughter Leslie also played basketball for the Princeton Tigers women's basketball team.

Coaching Basketball Career

Craig Robinson went back to coaching in 1999. He earned much less money than he did in business, but he loved it. He was an assistant coach for six years at Northwestern University. He was very good at finding new players for the team.

In 2006, he became the head coach at Brown University. He used a special basketball strategy called the "Princeton offense." This was something he learned from his old coach, Pete Carril. He focused on hard work and tried to help his players improve in every way.

His team finished fifth in the league, which was a strong result. Because of this, Craig was named the Ivy League men's basketball Coach of the Year for the 2006–2007 season. The next year, the Brown Bears finished second in the league. Their 19 wins that season was a new record for the team.

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

Craig also helped his brother-in-law, Barack Obama, during his 2008 presidential campaign. He campaigned for him in many states, sometimes combining it with his basketball recruiting trips. He introduced his sister Michelle before her speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention on August 25, 2008. This was a big moment that many people saw. He was also on stage when Barack Obama won the election on November 4, 2008.

On April 7, 2008, Craig was hired as the head basketball coach for the Oregon State Beavers. The team had a very tough year before he arrived, winning only 6 games and no conference games. Jesse Agel, who was Craig's assistant, took over as head coach at Brown.

Oregon State started well in Craig's first year. They won a conference game against USC in January 2009. This ended a nearly two-year losing streak in their conference. President-elect Obama even called Craig to congratulate him! Craig continued to use his coaching style, helping each player get better.

His team won six more conference games, which was much better than expected. The way he changed the team's offense helped them make more shots. Some people thought he should be considered for the Pac-10 Coach of the Year award. The team even made it to the 2009 College Basketball Invitational, a special tournament. They won 5 out of 6 games and became champions, which was their first post-season tournament win ever! Craig was very proud of his team. The Beavers finished the season with 18 wins and 18 losses.

In July 2009, President Obama hinted that Craig might get offers to coach elsewhere. He said Craig was an "outstanding coach" who had really improved the team. The 2009–10 season for Oregon State was a bit up and down. They finished tied for fifth place in their conference. They lost in the first round of their conference tournament. Even with a losing record, they were invited to the 2010 College Basketball Invitational again. However, they lost in the first round, ending the season with 14 wins and 18 losses.

In March 2010, Craig and the university agreed to extend his contract until the 2015–16 season. In April 2010, Craig published his book, A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond.

The 2010–2011 season was not as good for Oregon State. They finished ninth in the conference with a losing record. However, Craig said he was still hopeful because some of the younger players were improving. In November 2011, the Obamas showed their support by attending an Oregon State game.

The 2011–2012 season was Craig's best for overall wins, with 21 victories. This included two wins in the 2012 College Basketball Invitational. It was the most wins for the team since 1990. After this season, their star player, Jared Cunningham, was chosen in the NBA draft. This was the first Oregon State player drafted in over ten years. In June 2012, construction began on a new $15 million basketball practice building. Craig and previous coaches had wanted this for a long time.

Before the 2012–2013 season, Craig thought his team was "probably the best team I've had." But the team had one of their worst seasons ever. They often struggled in the second half of games. Attendance at their home games dropped, and fans became less excited. They finished last in their conference. Fans started to want a new coach, but the university's athletic director supported Craig. After the season, Craig worked as a sports analyst on TV during the college basketball tournament.

In the 2013–2014 season, the team improved to 16 wins and 16 losses overall. However, it was their sixth straight losing season in the conference. After this season, all five of their starting players and top scorers left the team. In March 2014, it was announced that Craig would coach an all-star basketball team that would visit China in August.

On May 5, 2014, Craig Robinson was no longer the head coach at Oregon State. He received $4 million because he still had three years left on his contract. During his time, the team did not make it to the main national tournaments like the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the National Invitation Tournament. However, his overall record of 93 wins and 104 losses made him the fourth-winningest coach in the team's history.

On August 15, 2016, the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team hired Craig Robinson. He became the vice president of player and organizational development. After one season, he left the Bucks to join the New York Knicks in a similar role.

Broadcasting and Current Role

On October 7, 2014, ESPN announced that they had hired Craig Robinson as a college basketball analyst. This meant he would work on TV, announcing games and discussing basketball in the studio.

On July 13, 2020, Craig Robinson was named the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. In this role, he helps lead and support basketball coaches across the country.

Personal Life

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

Coaching Records