Daniyal Robinson

Daniyal Robinson has been named as the 17th head coach of Cleveland State men's basketball, Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Garrett announced on Wednesday, April 6.

In his first year at the helm, Robinson led the Vikings to a 21-14 overall record and a 14-6 mark in conference play. The Vikings finished third in the Horizon League standings and recorded a third consecutive season of 20 wins or more. Cleveland State made a run to the Horizon League Touranment Championship Game and finished as the runnner-up. The Vikings reached the postseason for the third consecutive season, earning a spot in the College Basketball Invitational for the first time in school history.

Cleveland State experienced success on the defensive end of the floor in Robinson's inaugurual season. The Vikings finished in the top five in every major defensive statistical category in Horizon League games. Cleveland State held opponents to just over 70 points per game in conference play, good for third-best in the league.

Robinson mentored three all-league performers in his first season, with Tristan Enaruna earning first-team honors. Enaruna averaged 17.4 points per game in conference play and finished fourth in the league shooting 54 percent from the floor. In addition, Deshon Parker and Deante Johnson were both named to the league's all-defensive team. Cleveland State was the only school with multiple players named to the all-defensive team, and Johnson earned a spot for a third consecutive season.

Robinson joined the Vikings as a veteran of the coaching ranks with over 21 years of experience at the NCAA Division I level and multiple trips to the NCAA tournament, including a run with Iowa State to this year's Sweet Sixteen.

Respected as one of the nation's top assistant coaches, Robinson concluded his second stint at Iowa State where he has seen the Cyclones win two Big 12 Tournaments and advance to the NCAA Tournament four times, which includes runs to the Sweet 16 in 2016 and 2021. Over his two stops with the Cyclones, Robinson has helped coach 12 student-athletes to the NBA, a list that includes lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton in 2020 and 2019 second-rounder and NBA Champion Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Cyclones have spent much of his tenure nationally ranked, reaching as high as No. 4 in the country, and finishing inside the top-25 three times, which includes a rank of No. 23 in the nation to close the 2021-22 campaign.

Robinson returned to Iowa State for the 2015-16 year after two seasons at Loyola (Chicago). There he helped lead the Ramblers to 24 wins and the College Basketball Invitational title in 2014-15.

During his first stint at Iowa State, Robinson was a key part in the development of three future NBA players, which includes Craig Brackins, an All-American student-athlete and the No. 21 pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Diante Garrett and Justin Hamilton.

Robinson, a Rock Island, Illinois native also had coaching stops at Houston, Illinois State and his alma mater, Arkansas-Little Rock.