Robinson to Receive NABC Award for 700th Win at NCAA Division I Final Four

by Sports Information
3/26/06

LANCASTER, PA - Franklin & Marshall College head men's basketball coach Glenn Robinson will be honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches at the Guardian of the Game Awards Ceremony during the organization's annual convention at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Final Four in Indianapolis.

The award will honor Robinson for claiming his 700th career victory during the 2006 season with a 77-65 win over Swarthmore College at the Mayser Center on November 27, 2005.

Robinson, who holds a 710-254 record at Franklin & Marshall in 35 seasons, became the 25th coach in NCAA history and the 10th active coach to win 700 career games as he joined Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Bobby Knight, Jim Phelan, Big House Gaines, Jerry Johnson, Don Meyer, Herb Magee, Lefty Driesell, Eddie Sutton, Lou Henson, Henry Iba, Ed Diddle, Phog Allen, Lute Olson, Jerry Tarkanian, Norm Stewart, John Chaney, Ray Meyer, Mike Krzyzewski, Don Haskins, Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun and Dick Sauers in the exclusive club of coaches.

The head coach of the Diplomats since taking over the program prior to the 1971-72 season and the all-time wins leader in NCAA Division III history, Robinson reset the NCAA Division III basketball wins record of former Illinois Wesleyan coach Dennie Bridges on February 14, 2004 with a 75-52 win over Muhlenberg College in the Mayser Center.

Historically, Robinson guided the Diplomats to the Division III Final Four in 1979, 1991, 1996 and 2000 and was named the Basketball Times Division III "Coach of the Year" in 1991. He has earned conference and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) regional "Coach of the Year" honors 12 times, including the 2004 award for guiding the Diplomats to a 26-4 record, the Centennial Conference title and an NCAA Elite Eight berth.

Part of his success has been the personnel with which he has had to work as Will Lasky (1991 honorable mention, 1992 first team), Donnie Marsh (1977 & 1979 second team), Jeremiah Henry (1996 first team), Dave Jannetta (1994 honorable mention, 1995 third team), Brad Markey (1989 second team), Dennis Westley (1981 second team), Terry Scott (1988 third team), Phil Hoeker (1989 honorable mention), Chris Finch (1991 & 1992 honorable mention), Charlie Detz (1994 & 1995 honorable mention), Mike Mehaffey (1996 honorable mention), Alex Kraft (2000 first team, 2001 honorable mention), Duran Searles (2004 honorable mention) and Steve Justin (2004 honorable mention) all earned All-America honors under Robinson.

A 2004 inductee to the West Chester University Sports Hall of Fame, Robinson grew up in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, and played high school basketball at nearby Aldan Lansdowne High before attending West Chester. At WCU, he was a standout collegiate baseball and basketball player before graduating in 1967 and earning a masters degree a year later.

He joined the F&M basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach in 1968 under Hall of Fame coach and athletic trainer Chuck Taylor. In the fall of 1971, he took over the Diplomats' varsity program when Taylor resigned to focus on his athletic training responsibilities.

Following early struggles, in 1974 Robinson and the Diplomats broke through for a 13-11 mark, the team's best record since a 13-6 performance in 1959.

In 1976, Robinson reset the school win record with a 17-8 record. However, the record did not stand for long as he broke it again in 1977 with 22, 1979 with 27, 1991 with 28 and 1996 with 29 victories.

Franklin & Marshall concluded the 2006 season 13-12 as the Diplomats clinched their ninth straight winning season and the 20th in the last 21 years.