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Glenn Robinson Elected to Small College Basketball Hall of Fame

5/3/2024 2:36:00 PM

Kansas City, MO – The Hall of Fame Committee and Small College Basketball welcomed retired Franklin & Marshall men's basketball coach Glenn Robinson to its Hall of Fame this past weekend. Robinson was one of four coaches to be inducted. In addition to Robinson, that list included Ken Anderson (Wisconsin Eau Claire), Dave Hixon (Amherst), and Joe Retton (Fairmont State).

The 2024 Hall of Fame Class of 2024 is once again made up of some of the greatest coaches, players, and contributors at the Small College Basketball level. These individuals have truly left their mark on the game.

"Congratulations to the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024," stated John McCarthy. "Each and every member of this class has clearly earned and deserved to be included in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame, and we are thrilled to welcome them into this prestigious national Hall of Fame. What an impressive class!"

This year's National Hall of Fame Class marks the eighth class inducted into the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame. The National Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, November 1 inside the Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Fla.

Robinson retired as the most victorious coach in NCAA Division III history with 967 victories, which ranks third all-time among all NCAA divisions of college basketball. He led the Diplomats to the NCAA's Division III Tournament 25 times, with 44 Tournament victories, most recently leading his squad to the 2017-18 Tournament. F&M advanced to the Sweet 16 on 17 occasions and the Elite Eight in 10 postseasons.

He guided the Diplomats to the Final Four in 1979, 1991, 1996, 2000, and 2009 and was named Basketball Times Division III "Coach of the Year" in 1991 and D3hoops.com Coach of the Year in 2009. He has earned NABC and conference Coach of the Year honors 12 times.

Players flourished under Robinson's guidance during his half-century at F&M. Diplomat student-athletes earned 26 All-America honors, 93 All-Conference selections, 17 Conference Player of the Year Awards, and five Academic All-America certificates; 35 players reached the 1,000-point milestone. During his tenure, all but three players to earn a varsity letter have earned a degree, a statistic which few other colleges in the nation can boast.

The 1995-96 season was the best on record with 29 wins and capped the most successful decade in men's basketball history. During those 10 years, the Diplomats won 22 or more games every season and averaged just 3.7 losses a year. Robinson led the team to eight conference crowns with nine NCAA appearances, two Final Fours, and the national runner-up in 1990-91.

Robinson became the all-time wins leader in Division III history by recording his 667th victory on Feb. 14, 2004, with a Mayser Center win over Muhlenberg. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA history to amass 900 wins. In 2008-09, he became only the second Division III coach to reach 1,000 games coached.

He ended his career strong with some of his most successful seasons occurring in the final decade of his career. The Diplomats finished eight of the last 11 seasons with 20 or wins, advanced to the conference tournament in all 11 seasons, the conference finals six times and won four conference titles. The Diplomats also advanced to the NCAA Tournament on five occasions with a Final Four run, three Elite Eight showings and four Sweet 16 appearances.

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