Daniyal Robinson, who has guided Cleveland State to 65 victories and three postseason appearances in his three seasons as head coach, has been named UNT basketball’s 20th head coach, Vice President and Director of Athletics Jared Mosley announced Sunday.
“I’m excited to welcome Daniyal Robinson to UNT as our next head men’s basketball coach,” Mosley said. “Daniyal is a defensive focused coach who has a reputation as a great recruiter and builder of young men. His track record of success at Cleveland State speaks for itself with three straight 20-win seasons in this chaotic NIL environment. He’s learned from some of the best coaches in the business it was clear in our conversations that he has a detailed plan to ensure continued momentum and success at the national level. We look forward to welcoming Daniyal, his wife Kim, and three children — Devyn, Reece and Reid to Denton.”
Robinson took over as head coach at Cleveland State in 2022 and led the Vikings to a 65-42 record over his three seasons, the most over three years by a coach in program history. Over that period, he coached 11 All-Horizon honorees and two league award winners.
“I am deeply honored to join the North Texas family and lead the Mean Green men’s basketball program,” Robinson said. “My heartfelt gratitude goes to President Keller, athletic director Jared Mosley and entire the Mean Green community for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity.
“I am committed to building young men of character, while continuing the growth and excellence of one of the top programs in the American Athletic Conference. There is a strong foundation in place, and I know we have what it takes to continue to win championships. Go Mean Green!”
CSU finished the 2024-25 season with 23 victories a second-place finish in the Horizon League, including 14 conference wins, and a runner-up performance in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
He was named a finalist for the 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.
Cleveland State was the Horizon’s top defense team last season, 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.
Robinson guided the Vikings to another 20-win season in 2023-24, finishing 21-15 overall and 11-9 in Horizon League play. He became the first coach in CSU history to record consecutive 20-win seasons to start his tenure. The Vikings made their fourth straight Horizon League semifinal appearance and returned to the CBI, setting a program record with a fourth consecutive postseason berth.
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 League mark, finishing third 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.
Defensively, CSU ranked in the top five in all major statistical categories within the Horizon League, holding opponents to just over 70 points per game.
Robinson coached three all-league performers in his first season, including first-team honoree Enaruna, who averaged 17.4 points per game and shot 54% from the field. Deshon Parker and Deante Johnson were named to the all-defensive team, with CSU being the only school with multiple selections. Johnson earned all-defensive honors for the third consecutive season.
Robinson arrived at CSU with more than 21 years of Division I coaching experience, including multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. He spent time as an assistant at Iowa State, helping the Cyclones win two Big 12 Tournaments and make four NCAA Tournament appearances, including Sweet 16 runs in 2016 and 2021. During his time there, he coached 12 future NBA players, including Tyrese Haliburton and Talen Horton-Tucker.
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.
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, while Reece was a freshman forward on the Cleveland State team in 2024-25.
UNT retained Collegiate Sports Associates to conduct an extensive national search for head coach candidates. Robinson’s hire is contingent upon completion of the university background check process and Board of Regents approval.
