Craig Robinson was a two-time Ivy League player of the year at Princeton. He's been a college coach at Brown and Oregon State and worked on the Knicks and Bucks staff in the NBA.
He has worked in the financial sector and has given speeches to campaign for his brother-in-law, former President Barack Obama.
With experience in a variety of capacities, Robison said he felt taking over as executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches in July was a perfect fit.
"What made this most appealing is the fact to really take a job where you can encompass all your experiences together at one particular job," he said. "I thought, 'Wow, this is a really cool thing, and it's very worthy.' We can get a lot done if we could get focused and get our ducks in a row. It was the ability to take all of my past experiences and skills I've learned and focus them on one job."
Robinson, who grew up in Chicago and was the Class of 1979 valedictorian at Mount Carmel, takes over at a crucial time for college basketball as the game focusing on cleaning up its reputation from a federal corruption probe and learning how to play during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His plans include inclusivity platforms and focusing on the athlete experience.
Robinson, the brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama, spoke to the Tribune about his role and how he navigates sports and politics.
