Joli D. Robinson completed her fifth season as the assistant head coach at Johnson C. Smith University. She has accumulated over 22 years of coaching experience. Prior to arriving at JCSU, she spent 16 seasons as the head coach at North Carolina Central University.
Robinson left the NCCU women’s basketball program as the winningest head coach in school history with 217 victories. Her teams accounted for all five 20-win campaigns in the 32-year history of women’s basketball at NCCU and made four trips to the NCAA playoffs.
Robinson guided NCCU to its first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament Championship in 23 years and school records in wins (26) and consecutive victories (19) during the 2006-07 season. For her efforts, Robinson was voted as the 2007 CIAA Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year for the third time in her career (1999, 2001, 2007).
During the 2005-06 season, NCCU enjoyed the best start in school history with an 11-1 record, and went on to post the third-best season in the program’s history with 23 victories. The Lady Eagles also made its fourth trip to the NCAA postseason by earning an at-large bid as a No. 4 seed. In recognition of the accomplishment, Robinson was presented with the 2006 Russell Athletic/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Region 3 Coach of the Year.
In 2001, Robinson was selected as the WBCA Division II District 3 Coach of the Year. She was also recognized as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, her second such honor in three seasons.
In 1998-99, Robinson led the Lady Eagles to the regular season CIAA Western Division Championship title and a 20-7 overall record. For her achievements, Robinson was selected as the 1999 CIAA Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
Early Career…
From 1990 to 1996, Robinson directed the varsity girls’ basketball squad at Independence High School to an overall record of 96-56. During her six-year tenure, she guided her team to back-to-back Conference Championships in 1993-94 and 1994-95. For her work, she was honored as the Conference Coach of the Year in 1994, and North Carolina High School Athletic Association Regional USAir Sportsmanship Award in 1995.
Along with her responsibilities to the girls’ basketball program, Robinson was also the head coach of volleyball and track & field, as well as Department Chairperson and an instructor of Health and Physical Education at Independence.
Robinson, a native of Charlotte, NC, graduated from Charlotte Catholic High School in 1973. After graduating from Charlotte Catholic High, she entered Winston-Salem State University, where she played point guard for the Lady Rams’ basketball program for two seasons and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1977, with a concentration in Health and Physical Education.
In 1990, Robinson achieved her master’s degree in Health and Physical Education from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.
Since beginning her coaching career in 1977, Robinson has coached basketball, track & field, softball and volleyball at four different school systems in Charlotte. She accepted her first coaching job at Wilson Junior High School, where she stayed for six years. Then, Robinson spent five years at Eastway Junior High School (1984-89), earning Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1986, one year at Hawthorne Traditional School (1989-90), where she was again named Conference Coach of the Year in 1990, and spent the last six years at Independence High School (1990-96).
In June of 2004, Robinson was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee to serve as a court coach at the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Trials held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.
