Virginia Union’s Dave Robbins excelled with a hard-nosed style

COACH DAVE ROBBINS
2012 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY (1978-2008)
NCAA D-II National Championships: 1980, 1992, 2005

KANSAS CITY, Missouri  --  Dave Robbins never thought he’d be a pioneer. But when he was hired as Virginia Union’s head basketball coach in 1978, that’s exactly what he became.

Now, about 34 years and three NCAA Division II championships later, that fact is an undeniable part of the legacy of Robbins, the first white coach in the history of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which is composed of historically black colleges and universities.

“Until people started writing about it, I had no idea I was the first white coach in the conference,” said Robbins, who took part in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday. “I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter.”

Indeed. Robbins employed a hard-nosed style — the same one he used as a high school coach before he got the college job — to guide Virginia Union to a 713-194 record, 14 CIAA championships and 21 NCAA tournament appearances in 30 seasons as the coach.

But Robbins insists he didn’t have this much success — or even make the transition — on his own. He credits scores of assistants and players, and singles out former star Keith Valentine — whom Robbins guided to a state championship in high school — for helping to grease the skids with Virginia Union’s players, at least initially.

“He, probably more than anyone else, (helped),” Robbins said. “The word was, he told people ‘You’re not going to like this guy’s ways, but if you listen to him, we’ll win.’ ”

And win they did. In 1980, with Valentine and Robbins on board, Virginia Union captured its first D-II national championship.

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