Lance Robinson has been named the new head coach of Waubonsee Community College’s men’s basketball program. He takes over control of the program from long-time Chiefs’ head coach Dave Heiss. Robinson joins the Chiefs’ coaching staff after leading nearby Aurora University to 54 wins the last three seasons, including a pair of Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament titles and back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division III National Tournament in 2018 and 2019.
A native of Danville, Illinois, Robinson played for the Spartans from 2007 through 2010, helping Aurora earn four straight NCAA Tournament berths and three NACC Championships. In 2010 Robinson was the NACC Player of the Year, a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Midwest 1st team selection, and a DIII News All-American Honorable Mention honoree. In 2010 Robinson earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and beginning with the 2010-2011 season he served as a Graduate Assistant Coach for Aurora. Two years later he received a master’s degree from Aurora in Business Administration Leadership and became the Spartans’ full-time Assistant Coach, leading the Junior Varsity program, serving as a lead recruiter, and helping with practices and game preparations.
In the summer of 2016 he took over the reins of Aurora’s program from another long-time coach James Lancaster, the Spartans’ all-time winningest coach. Robinson was chosen the 2018 NACC Coach of the Year after guiding the Spartans to a 20-9 record and the 22nd conference title in school history. In the first round of the 2018 playoffs, his unranked squad pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament when they downed third-ranked Washington (MO) University on their own court. Last season his squad once again won the NACC Tournament crown as the three-seed, earning a berth in the National Tournament for the 11th time in school history.
Robinson is set to again take on the challenge of following another legendary coach. Over the last 34 years, Heiss led the Chiefs to 644 wins, a dozen Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) titles, six Region IV crowns and six NJCAA Division II National Tournament appearances. He is the ISCC’s all-time leader in wins with 292 victories, which is 102 more than anyone else in league history. A member of five coaching Halls of Fame, Heiss will continue to guide Waubonsee’s golf program in the fall, a position he has held for the last 26 years. Under his leadership the Chiefs have won the ISCC golf title five times (2001, 2004, 2010, 2015 and 2016) and the Region IV championship twice (2001 and 2015).
http://www.gochiefs.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/releases/20190717nde8fs
