Name: Steve Robinson Position: Head Coach Second Year at Florida State 18-14 entering his second season at FSU 64-32 entering his fourth season as a head coach

Confident. Dedicated. Disciplined. Focused. Proud. Organized. Those are words that describe Florida State basketball coach Steve Robinson.

Those are also characteristics that Robinson instills in his players to get the best out of them on the basketball court and off it.

Robinson, entering his second year at the helm of the Seminole hoops program, has an intense desire to succeed. He demands a great deal of himself and of those associated with his basketball program, and expects all of the hard work to pay great dividends for the future of Florida State basketball.

"Coach Robinson is going to do a great job at Florida State," said LaMarr Greer, a senior on Robinson's first Seminole squad last year. "What he did last year is just the beginning of great things. He puts so much effort into what he does, that, as a player you feel like your are cheating him if you don't give that same kind of effort. I am going to miss being a part of that family atmosphere."

What Robinson did in his initial season in Tallahassee was put Florida State back on the national map in college basketball. Consider:

* The Seminoles returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, upset fifth-seeded Texas Christian in the first round and advanced to the second round for the fourth time in the 1990's.

* Florida State reappeared in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in four seasons, was ranked for eight consecutive weeks and peaked at No. 13.

* Robinson became the first FSU first-year coach to lead the Tribe to the NCAA Tournament.

* The Seminoles' 84-79 win over defending national champion and No. 5 Arizona on Dec. 23 equaled the highest ranked team ever defeated by Florida State at home and marked FSU's first Top 10 non-conference win in 11 years.

The end result of Robinson's first season was an 18-14 record and the laying of a foundation for the future of the Florida State program. That foundation is build upon organization, structure, hard-work and pride.

"I am here for the long haul," said Robinson, "and things being built for the long-term need a solid foundation. I think we have put that foundation in place."

Robinson's practices at Florida State are organized so that no minute is wasted. He includes a thought of the day on each day's practice plan and each drill during workouts has a purpose.

"Practices are like his classroom," said FSU assistant coach Coleman Crawford. "There is a lot of teaching going on and he is an outstanding teacher."

His day off the court is structured in time that allows for staff meetings and media obligations but his door is always open for the people who are most important in his program - his players.

"We need to put them first because that is why I am a basketball coach," Robinson said. "My challenge is to make everybody on our team a better player and a better person. I enjoy that aspect of coaching."

Proof of that players-first philosophy is seen in the policies Robinson has put in place when the Seminoles travel on the road. Taller players get first crack - ahead of coaches and staff - at aisle and emergency exit row seats on commercial flights and Florida State charters flights home after week night games so players could attend early classes the next day.

Most importantly, he has instilled pride in his Florida State players.

"I think one of the most important things we accomplished in our first year, was establishing Seminole Pride," said Robinson. "That means that they give their best effort every day in practice, every time they are in the weight room, give their best effort during every game. They try to make the right decisions off the court and give everything they have in the classroom. " "I think our players used to be proud to play basketball in the ACC. Now they are proud to say that they play basketball at Florida State University." Robinson has also established tradition to a program where there was once no legacy. Bringing back former Florida State players to his basketball camp and honoring former players with team awards in their name are just a couple of examples.

But nothing else would be expected from a coach that has spent his 15-year coaching career - the first 12 as an assistant, two as the head coach at Tulsa and last season at Florida State - among tradition-rich programs and winning teams.

The Robinson coaching resume includes: 14 winning seasons in his 15 years; 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, including nine consecutive; an average of nearly 22 victories per season; and - just as importantly - numerous academic all-conference and honor roll awards for his players.

While at Tulsa, Robinson posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns and guided the Golden Hurricane to the NCAA Tournament both years. His first season at the school produced a 22-8 record, the school's first Missouri Valley Conference tournament title in 11 years and an automatic bid into the Big Dance. Robinson became only the second Tulsa head coach to take the program to the NCAA Tournament in his first year.

Robinson's second year at Tulsa presented a new challenge: a move to the expanded Western Athletic Conference. Robinson responded by taking Tulsa to the NCAA Tournament again, posting a 24-10 record (the fourth most wins in school history) and earning the WAC's Mountain Division Coach of the Year honor. When Florida State Director of Athletics Dave Hart initially approached Robinson about FSU's vacancy, the 40-year-old Robinson said no - twice. But Hart was persistent, and was able to hire one of the rising young stars in the college coaching profession.

Robinson's initial reason for withdrawing from consideration for the Seminole post was one of the very reasons Hart pursued him so persistently.

"One big thing that I struggled with is being able to tell those players at Tulsa that I was leaving. That would be very hard for me," Robinson told Hart when he first declined the offer to coach the Seminoles. Hart countered, "That is exactly why we want you here, because of the fact that you are the kind of guy that cares so much about your players."

And those words are backed up by Robinson's accomplishments in his previous coaching stops. His players at Tulsa had a reputation for academic success. Five of his Golden Hurricane players carried grade point averages of at least 3.0 during each semester of his tenure at Tulsa. Two years ago, two starters carried 4.0 GPAs and the team's was 2.84.

His first season at Florida State also produced solid results in the classroom. The Seminoles' team GPA during the spring semester was 2.5, the program's highest this decade.

Robinson's coaching star began to shine in the seven seasons prior to his appointment at Tulsa. During those seven years, he served as an assistant coach at Kansas under one of the college game's most respected coaches - Roy Williams.

Robinson helped Williams build the Jayhawks into one of the nation's most dominant college basketball programs from 1988-95. During that time, KU averaged 26 wins per season while compiling a 184-51 record. Kansas won four Big Eight Conference titles and made six trips to the NCAA Tournament, including appearances in the Final Four in 1991 and 1993.

In addition to his coaching duties at Kansas, Robinson served as the basketball program's academic counselor. During his time, nine Jayhawk players were named to the Big Eight All-Academic team and 37 recorded grade point averages of 3.0 or better during the fall or spring semesters.

It is obvious that Williams made a permanent impression on Robinson. When asked to comment on what Williams meant to him during the press conference announcing his hiring at Florida State, Robinson responded: "Do you have two hours? And that might not be enough time. I have very strong feelings for that man. My relationship with him is not like head coach-assistant coach, it is more like brother to brother. He is someone who I have great admiration for. He has done a tremendous job in helping me in terms of developing my career, teaching me to be a head coach and assisting me in all phases of running a basketball program."

Prior to joining Williams at Kansas, Robinson served as an assistant coach for two years at Cornell. The Big Red went 15-11 in 1987 and 17-10 in 1988. The 1987-88 team earned the school's first NCAA Tournament berth in 34 years. Robinson began his coaching career at Lincoln (Pa.) University, where he spent the 1981-82 season. A one-year stint at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Va. followed during the 1982-83 season. He then returned to his alma mater, Radford, for three seasons as an assistant coach (1983-85). A native of Roanoke, Va., Robinson is a graduate of William Fleming High School. He attended Ferrum Junior College and played basketball for two years there before transferring to Radford to complete his eligibility. Robinson was Radford's first athletic scholarship recipient and was team captain during the 1980 and 1981 seasons. He received his bachelor's degree in health and physical education in 1981 and a master's degree in counseling in 1985, both from Radford.

Robinson has become a popular figure on the speaking circuit. He participated in the NCAA YES Clinic at the 1996 Final Four, where he was a guest clinician. Robinson has also lectured at various coaching clinics in California, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. He is also a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches recruiting committee. Robinson and his wife, Lisa, have four children: daughters Shauna' (18) and Kiaya (6); and sons Tarron (10) and Denzel (7).

THE STEVE ROBINSON NOTEBOOK

Personal Background

Year     Position         School   Record  Post-Season
1983-84  Assistant Coach  Radford   17-10  --
1984-85  Assistant Coach  Radford   16-12  --
1985-86  Assistant Coach  Radford   11-17  --
1986-87  Assistant Coach  Cornell   15-11  --
1987-88  Assistant Coach  Cornell   17-10  NCAA
1988-89  Assistant Coach  Kansas    19-12  --
1989-90  Assistant Coach  Kansas     30-5  NCAA
1990-91  Assistant Coach  Kansas     27-8  NCAA (Final Four)
1991-92  Assistant Coach  Kansas     27-5  NCAA
1992-93  Assistant Coach  Kansas     29-7  NCAA (Final Four)
1993-94  Assistant Coach  Kansas     27-8  NCAA
1994-95  Assistant Coach  Kansas     25-6  NCAA
1995-96  Head Coach       Tulsa      22-8  NCAA
1996-97  Head Coach       Tulsa     24-10  NCAA