From the moment he stepped onto a collegiate basketball court in 2006 to the present, Lance Robinson has never been part of a sub .500 team as a player or coach. He took over the Chiefs’ program in 2019 from Hall of Fame coach Dave Heiss, bringing his successful up-tempo and energetic style of play to Waubonsee. The Chiefs went 19-13 overall his first season, finishing third nationally among all NJCAA Division II teams in three-pointers and in the top-20 in points, assists and free throw percentage. Robinson’s 2021-22 crew fell by one point in a heartbreaking loss to undefeated, top-ranked and eventual National Champion South Suburban College in the Region IV Division II title game. Throughout the season the Chiefs overcame several Covid related disruptions en route to finishing 20-8 overall and tied for second in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference standings. Last season his unranked squad captured the Region 4 Championship and reached the quarterfinals at the National Tournament by knocking off three straight nationally-ranked opponents to finish 26-10 overall. Subsequently, Robinson was honored by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association as a Co-Coach of the Year. He has posted a winning percentage over 70 percent during his tenure at Waubonsee.

Prior to coming to Sugar Grove, he guided nearby Aurora University to a Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) title and a pair of NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in his three years there as head coach. Robinson is a native of Danville, Indiana where he played on the varsity basketball team all four years at Danville Community High School. He was named All-State his junior and senior seasons, was a three-time All-Metro and All-Conference selection, and was the Warriors’ Team MVP his last two years. At Aurora Robinson displayed an all-around game and outstanding court awareness as the Spartans’ point guard, helping lead them to four NCAA Tournament berths, three NACC Championships and 82 wins overall. In his career, Robinson had 787 points, 589 rebounds, 489 assists and 203 steals. In his senior season, Robinson averaged 13.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game while being named the 2009-2010 NACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year. He had an almost three-to-one assist to turnover ratio, and shot 48.8 percent from the field (163-of-334). Additionally, he was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Midwest Region First Team, the D3hoops.com All-Midwest Region Third Team and First-Team All-Conference by the NACC.

Coach Robinson served as the Spartans’ assistant coach for six years before taking over Aurora’s program in 2016 from another legendary coach, James Lancaster, the Spartans’ all-time winningest coach. After leading the Spartans to a 20-win season in 2017-2018, Robinson was named the NACC Coach of the Year, becoming the first person to earn both that honor and the NACC Player of the Year Award. Robinson led the unranked Spartans to an NCAA Tournament berth that March where they upset third-ranked Washington (MO.) University in St. Louis on a memorable last-second shot which was featured nationally on ESPN. He also led the Spartans to a return trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 after Aurora once again won the NACC Tournament. During his tenure at Aurora, the Spartans won 72 percent of their conference games and 64 percent (54-30) of the contests they played overall.

Robinson earned a bachelor's and master's degree from Aurora University in Business. He and his fiancé Jacqueline currently reside in Sugar Grove. 

Coach Robinson's Record at Waubonsee

2019-20          19-13                                        8-6     4th place in ISCC

2020-21            5-1         ** Exhibition season due to Covid pandemic

2021-22          20-8                                         9-5      2nd place tie in ISCC     Reached Region 4 title game

2022-23          26-10                                       9-5      3rd place in ISCC           ***Region 4 Champions        ***9th place at Nationals

2023-24          28-5                                         12-2     ***ISCC Co-Champions

5 seasons       (98-37)   72.6%                     (38-18)    67.9%