Robinson Set for Hall Induction

LANCASTER, Pa. – Franklin & Marshall men’s basketball coach, Glenn Robinson, will be inducted into the Delaware County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, June 28. Robinson will enter the Hall with a distinguished class that includes broadcasting legend, Harry Kalas, and Vince Papale, the former Philadelphia Eagle and subject of the 2006 film Invincible.

Robinson is a legend in his own right. Already the most victorious coach in NCAA Division III history, Glenn Robinson passed basketball legends John Chaney and Phog Allen in career wins during the 2008-09 season.

The remarkable history that has been Robinson's career in Lancaster has seen milestone after milestone passed. The 38-year veteran is inextricably linked to F&M's basketball history. This past year's February 11 victory over Ursinus was not only Robinson's 750th win, but also the program's 1,200th. Last season, he became only the second Division III coach to reach 1,000 games coached. 

Robinson has brought the Diplomats to the NCAA's Division III dance 20 times, most recently leading his squad to the 2009 Final Four. F&M has advanced to the round of 16 a dozen times and the round of eight in seven postseasons. The 2009 National Semifinals marked the team's fifth appearance on the final weekend on Robinson's watch. It was also the 21st season with 21+victories. His guidance of the young edition of Diplomats landed him D3Hoops.com Coach of the Year honors.

He previously 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 NABC "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.
Consistency has been a hallmark of Robinson’s tenure. In the 1980’s, the Diplomats went 197-79 with six NCAA bids. A 231-51 record and eight NCAA appearances followed in the 1990’s. The past decade witnessed a 200-84 record and six more NCAA berths. Robinson’s squad advanced to the National Semifinals and won at least 25 postseason games in the decade on either side of the turn of the millennium.

A 1967 graduate of West Chester University, Robinson became the all-time wins leader in Division III history by recording his 667th victory on February 14, 2004 with a Mayser Center win over Muhlenberg. He is one of only 18 coaches in NCAA history to amass 750 wins. Robinson is currently seventh amongst all active NCAA coaches in victories, trailing coaches with names like Kryzewski, Olson, Calhoun and Boeheim. Driesell and Sutton are within reach, while Wooden and Tarkanian are in the rear view.

Robinson grew up in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, and played high school basketball at nearby Lansdowne-Aldan 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 was inducted into the University's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.

During his tenure, all but one player to earn a varsity letter in basketball has earned a degree, a statistic which few, if any, other college in the nation can boast.