Arizona men’s basketball assistant coach Steve Robinson announces retirement

When Tommy Lloyd was putting together his coaching staff at Arizona he leaned heavily on guys he worked with at Gonzaga. But as a first-time head coach, adding an assistant with decades of experience was also helpful.

He found that in Steve Robinson, who on Thursday officially announced his retirement following four seasons with the Wildcats and 42 in college basketball.

Robinson, 67, joined the UA in 2021 after 18 seasons at North Carolina where he was Roy Williams’ top assistant and helped the Tar Heels win three NCAA titles. His relationship with Caleb Love helped the Wildcats land the future Pac-12 Player of the Year from the transfer portal two years ago.

“We are grateful that Coach Robinson and his family took the chance on me and moved to Tucson to help a first-time head coach,” Lloyd said in a news release. “From the first day, he brought a wealth of knowledge and experience that few coaches in the country have. His remarkable career has spanned four decades and some of the best basketball players in the game, which speaks to him as a person and a coach. He has represented the University of Arizona and our program at the highest level with integrity and respect. It’s an honor to call him a friend and, on behalf of Arizona Basketball, we wish him and his wife, Lisa, all the best in retirement.”

Robinson coached at seven schools, including as head coach at Tulsa (1995-97) and Florida State (1997-2002) where he combined to go 110-104 and make three NCAA tourney appearances.

With the UA Robinson was part of staffs that won two Pac-12 regular season titles and two Pac-12 Tournament crowns as well as made the Sweet 16 three times.

“It has been an absolute honor to be on Coach Lloyd’s staff these last four years,” Robinson said in a news release. “Wildcat Nation has welcomed me and my family with open arms and we are forever grateful for that. After more than 40 years of coaching and mentoring young men from around the world, I feel it is the right time for me to step away and spend more time with my wife, our kids and our grandkids. Coaching has been my passion from the day that I started and I want to thank each and every former player, coach or manager for the impact they have made on my life. There are so many lifelong friendships and memories that my family has been able to take away from college basketball, I could never begin to list them all.”

Arizona had previously listed an opening for a men’s basketball assistant coach position on the school’s employment Web site but that has since been taken down, an indication a hire has been made and an announcement should be coming soon.

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