Coaches On Former Minnesota Coach J Robinson, The Man And Mentor

Coaches On Former Minnesota Coach J Robinson, The Man And Mentor

Though J Robinson will no longer be the head coach at the University of Minnesota, his imprint and impact on college wrestling is without parallel. Coach Ro

Sep 9, 2016 by Christian Pyles
Coaches On Former Minnesota Coach J Robinson, The Man And Mentor
Though J Robinson will no longer be the head coach at the University of Minnesota, his imprint and impact on college wrestling is without parallel.

Coach Robinson was a fierce competitor when the Gophers took the mat. Off the mat, J was a leader and mentor to many coaches.

Tom Ryan, Tom Brands, Brian Smith and Rob Koll all gave their thoughts on J Robinson, the man.

Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan attended J's camps as a wrestler:
"J Robinson was one of the most influential men in my life. I attended his one-month camp three summers of my life. As a young person, he helped me to connect hard work with success. This life lesson has stayed with me to this day, and has been embedded in the fabric of my life. Thank God for Coach."

Tom Brands, the head coach at Iowa, loved competing against Coach Robinson:
"J is my favorite adversary. The matches always seemed to get heated between the benches. I suppose part of why it was enjoyable is because J is one of the few that, when it was over, he did not take it personal. It was never personal between us. It always seemed like we could look at each other at the end of the deal and laugh."

Brian Smith of Missouri used Coach Robinson as a resource every chance he had:
"J was the guy at every NCAAs, every NWCA meeting or the Scuffle, I would sit by him and pick his brain and he would give me knowledge about how to market your program; sell your program. It was just great. His vision and organization, willingness to share ideas and help a coach. He cared about the sport -- there was no doubt about it. You could see that from his athletes."

Cornell head coach Rob Koll discussed Coach Robinson's selfless nature:
"I always appreciated J's willingness to make personal and team sacrifices for the betterment of the sport. Truly old-school attitude. No job was too big or small for him. J taught me to look more at my job as a business and less about teaching moves. His presentation at the coaches convention fundamentally changed the way I approach my job and how I coach."


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