Mean Green Basketball Head Coach: Daniyal Robinson
Daniyal Robinson was hired on April 4, 2025 and became North Texas' 20th head men's basketball coach.
Prior to taking over the UNT program, Robinson spent three years at Cleveland State (2022-25) as the Vikings' head men's basketball coach. It was his first head coach job. While at Cleveland State, Robinson led the Vikings to three straight 20-win seasons and a 65-42 (.607) overall combined record. CSU won at least 11 Horizon Conference games each season under Robinson and went a combined 39-21 (.650) in league games over his three seasons. Robinson's 65 wins through his first three years at Cleveland State were the most by any Viking head coach in their respective first three seasons in charge, surpassing the legendary Kevin Mackey who won 64 games in his first three years.
Robinson led the Vikings to two second place finishes in the Horizon regular season standings (2023 and 2025) and led them to the semifinal round of the Horizon Conference Tournament in each of his final two years in Cleveland. They made the Horizon championship game in 2023. Every year under Robinson, CSU made the College Basketball Invitational national postseason tournament and in 2025 reached the championship game of the CBI.
Robinson ended the 2024-25 season with the second most head coaching career wins (65) in the nation among all active DI head coaches with three years or less of experience. His .607 winning percentage was also the second best among all active DI head coaches with three years or less of experience.
Over his three seasons at Cleveland State, the Vikings had 11 all-league honorees.
He was named a finalist for the 2025 Ben Jobe Award given annually to the nation's top minority head coach for the second time in his career. The Vikings had Horizon Sixth Man of the Year Chase Robinson and Freshman of the Year Je'Shawn Stevenson along with seven all-conference honorees.
In his final year at Cleveland State, Robinson led the Vikings to a 23-13 overall record and 14-6 conference record. It was CSU's most single season wins in 14 years. Cleveland State was the Horizon's top defense team, holding opponents to 66.5 ppg while finishing first in turnovers forced per game, and second in blocks, steals and opponent field goal percentage. The 15.17 turnovers created per game by CSU's defense ranked 13th nationally.
CSU ranked top two in the Horizon in offensive and defensive efficiency in his final season.
The year prior Robinson guided the Vikings to a 21-15 overall and 11-9 in Horizon record. He became the first coach in CSU history to record consecutive 20-win seasons to start his tenure.
Forward Tristan Enaruna earned first-team all-league honors before signing a free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics.
In his first season, Robinson led the Vikings to a 21-14 overall record and a 14-6 Horizon mark, finishing second in the conference. The team reached the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game and secured a program-first berth in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The 21 victories were the most by a first-year coach in Cleveland State history.
Prior to taking over the Cleveland State head coaching job, Robinson was a DI assistant coach for 21 years.
Robinson also had coaching stops at Loyola Chicago, Houston, Illinois State, and his alma mater, Arkansas-Little Rock. He helped Loyola win the CBI title in 2015 and played a key role in developing multiple NBA prospects.
From 2015-22 he served on the Iowa State coaching staff under both head coach Steve Prohm and TJ Otzelberger. While at ISU, Robinson helped lead the Cyclones to four NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet 16s. In 2017, Iowa State went 12-6 in the Big 12 and finished second in the regular season standings. They won 20 or more games in four of the seven seasons he was Ames.
The Cyclones had six players drafted into the NBA in Robinson's seven years including future all star and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton who was the No. 12 overall pick in 2020.
As a player, Robinson starred at Indian Hills Community College before transferring to Arkansas-Little Rock, where he earned a bachelor's degree in health education in 1999.
Robinson and his wife, Kim, have three children: Devyn, Reece and Reid. Devyn played volleyball at Wisconsin where she led the Badgers to the 2021 national championship and was a two-time AVCA all-American and a four-time NCAA All-Regional honoree.