Joli D. Robinson is entering her 16th season as the head coach at North Carolina Central University.
Robinson was announced to her post on August 15, 1996.
In her first 15 years at NCCU, Robinson has changed attitudes about the women’s basketball program, becoming the winningest head coach in Lady Eagle history with 208 victories. Her teams have accounted for all five 20-win campaigns in the 32-year history of women’s basketball at NCCU and have made four trips to the NCAA playoffs.
The 2009-10 edition of the Lady Eagles posted an overall record of 11-18, achieving the most victories in a season since making the move to Division I. The team also boasted a 7-3 record at home.
The Lady Eagles improved significantly in their second year as a Division I program under the leadership of Robinson. NCCU finished the 2008-09 season with a 10-17 record. The Lady Eagles earned their first Division I win of the 2008-09 season in Colorado Springs, Colo., where they claimed a victory over Texas-Pan American before defeating Tennessee State at home for their second consecutive win.
Another highlight for the Lady Eagles last season was their 14-point loss to ACC-member Wake Forest. NCCU rallied in the second half, shooting 50 percent from the field. Wake Forest went more than five minutes without a field goal as the Lady Eagles closed the gap with a 15-2 run and cut the deficit to eight with 5:54 remaining in the game. During the run, NCCU shut down the Wake Forest offense, only allowing the Deacs to score on a pair of free throws.
During the 2007-08 season, which was NCCU’s first campaign as a Division I competitor, the Lady Eagles faced 12 new opponents and played two regular-season games against ACC teams as NCCU opened its regular season at North Carolina and tipped off the new year at Duke. The Lady Eagles earned their first win against a Division I opponent on Jan. 9, 2008 when they defeated Norfolk State, 58-44. NCCU won four of their last seven games as a Division I program, including their victory over Norfolk State. The Lady Eagles also posted a 5-1 record inside McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium in its first Division I season. NCCU earned their first win as a Division I program against Fayetteville State on Dec. 8, 2007 during the Lady Eagle Classic.
In 2006-07, the Lady Eagles finished tied with Coppin State University atop the final Black College Sports Page (BCSP) rankings to earn a share of the 2007 BCSP Women’s Basketball Black College National Championship. Robinson guided NCCU to its first CIAA Tournament Championship in 23 years and school records in wins (26) and consecutive victories (19). For the second straight season, NCCU reached the regional semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament, with a 73-66 win over Newberry College. For her efforts, Robinson was voted as the 2007 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year for the third time in her career (1999, 2001, 2007).
The 2005-06 Lady Eagles 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. NCCU also made its fourth trip to the NCAA postseason by earning an at-large bid as a No. 4 seed. The Lady Eagles advanced to the regional semifinals before losing to the eventual region champion.
For her efforts, Robinson was presented with the 2006 Russell Athletic/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Region 3 Coach of the Year. She was also selected CIAA Coach of the Week twice (Dec. 10, Feb. 18).
The 2004-05 Lady Eagles rebounded from a sluggish start to win 12 of their last 15 games, with the last loss coming in the CIAA Tournament Semifinals against the eventual champion. Robinson was voted as the CIAA Coach of the Week twice (Nov. 20, Feb. 5) during her ninth campaign at NCCU.
During the 2001-02 season, the Lady Eagles continued their reign of success. NCCU was the only school to make the return trip to the 2002 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional Championships. The Lady Eagles advanced to the round of "Sweet 16" during the national tournament for the first time in school history before falling in the regional championship game to the host institution. The NCCU women also: achieved a No. 1 ranking in the South Atlantic Region poll (Feb. 27 – Final Poll) for the first time in Lady Eagle hoops history; captured the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Western Division regular season title for the third time in the past four years; finished the second consecutive season with an undefeated record at home, riding a 24-game home court win streak; and won 14 consecutive games from Nov. 23, 2001 to Feb. 2, 2002, the second-best win streak in Lady Eagle basketball history.
The 2000-01 campaign was a special one for Robinson, as the Lady Eagles established several new standards for women’s basketball at NCCU: most overall victories (25); most regular season victories (22); longest winning streak (16); first undefeated record at home (12-0); highest NCAA regional ranking (No. 7 in final poll on Feb. 27); first at-large bid to NCAA Division II Tournament; and the first NCAA Tournament win for any women’s sports team in NCCU history.
The Lady Eagles also captured the 2000-01 CIAA Western Division Championship, their second in the last three years.
The end to the 2000-01 season, however, was much brighter than the beginning for the Lady Eagles, particularly Coach Robinson. Three days before the start of the regular season, Robinson tore her Achilles’ tendon during a faculty/staff versus students basketball game on NCCU’s campus. She underwent surgery and spent the first half of the season on the sideline in a wheelchair and on crutches. Still, she never missed a game. Even after the final contest of the record-breaking season (a two-point loss in the regional semifinals to the No. 1 team in the country), Robinson had a slight limp as she crossed the mid-court line to shake hands with the opposing team.
For guiding the Lady Eagles to the winningest women’s basketball campaign in school history, Robinson was selected as the 2001 WBCA Division II District 3 Coach of the Year. She was also recognized as the 2001 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, her second such honor in three seasons. Additionally, Robinson was named CIAA Coach of the Week four times during the regular season (Dec. 10, Jan. 6, Feb. 4, Feb, 17).
In The Beginning...
Her first season at NCCU was a transitional one. With no time to recruit and no full-time assistant coach, Robinson’s challenge was to be competitive. NCCU opened the season winning three of its first four games, before losing four games by three points or less and two overtime decisions during the remainder of the campaign. In spite of a 5-20 overall finish, the 1996-97 Lady Eagles were competitive and a new era of women’s basketball had arrived at NCCU.
In 1997-98, NCCU opened the season by capturing the Lady Eagle Classic and winning five of its first eight games. The Lady Eagles then fell into a 1-15 slump, before winning the last two games of the regular season.
In 1998-99, Robinson led the Lady Eagles to the regular season CIAA Western Division Championship title and a 20-7 overall record, becoming the winningest women’s basketball team in school history. For her achievements, Robinson was selected as the 1999 CIAA Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
In 1999-2000, the Lady Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the CIAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
From 1990 to 1996, Robinson directed the varsity girl’s 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 girl’s 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 Ram basketball program for four seasons and earned a bachelor of science degree in 1977, with concentration Health and Physical Education.
That same year, she attended West Chester University of Pennsylvania to begin her graduate studies 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, Colo.
JOLI ROBINSON'S CAREER COACHING RECORDS
Season (W-L)Pct.
1996-1997 (5-20).200
1997-1998 (8-19).296
1998-1999 (20-7).741
1999-2000 (12-17).414
2000-2001 (25-6).806
2001-2002 (24-7).774
2002-2003 (8-19).296
2003-2004 (14-14).500
2004-2005 (16-13).552
2005-2006 (23-7).767
2006-2007 (26-6).813
2007-2008 (6-20).231
2008-2009 (10-17).370
2009-2010 (11-18).379
2010-2011 (5-25).167
2011-2012 (3-27).100
16 seasons (216-242).472
HONORS:
1999 CIAA Coach of the Year
2001 CIAA Coach of the Year
2001 WBCA Division II District 3 Coach of the Year
2006 WBCA Division II District 3 Coach of the Year
2007 CIAA Coach of the Year
Lady Eagles Coaching Leaders Most Victories
1. 216-242 Joli Robinson 1996-2012 (16 seasons)
2. 73-154 Jacqueline Pinnix 1987-96 (9 seasons)
3. 51-74 Yvonne Edwards 1982-87 (5 seasons)
4. 14-23 Alberta Gatling 1980-82 (2 seasons)
5. 14-33 Mickie McCormick 1975-78 (3 seasons)
6. 10-13 Francis A. Silva 1979-80 (1 season)
7. 5-16 Calvin Wade 1978-79 (1 season)
Best Winning Percentage
1. .472 Joli Robinson 1996-2012 (16 seasons)
2. .435 Francis A. Silva 1979-80 (1 season)
3. .408 Yvonne Edwards 1982-87 (5 seasons)
4. .378 Alberta Gatling 1980-82 (2 seasons)
5. .322 Jacqueline Pinnix 1987-96 (9 seasons)
6. .298 Mickie McCormick 1975-78 (3 seasons)
7. .238 Calvin Wade 1978-79 (1 season)
