Polk Robison was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 collegiate basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 and football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 coach and college athletics administrator who served as the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team from 1942 to 1946 and again from 1947 to 1961. He served as the university's athletic director from 1961 to 1969.

Student

As a student at Texas Tech, Robison tried out for the football team

Texas Tech Red Raiders football

Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...

 but did not make the cut. However, he did letter in basketball and tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

. After graduating in 1934, he helped coach football and tennis in the 1940s.

Head basketball coach

Robison coached the Red Raiders basketball teams to their first NCAA tournament appearances—in 1954

1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1954, and ended with the championship game on March 20 in Kansas City, Missouri...

, 1956

1956 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

-Midwest Region:-West Region:-Far West Region:-Final Four:-Notes:* Canisius's first-round victory over the second-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack, considered by many to be among the top ten upsets in tournament history, set a record for most overtime periods in a Division I Men's tournament...

, and 1961

1961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 14, 1961, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Kansas...

. His overall record at the school was 254–195.

Athletic director

After stepping down from his coaching position in 1961, Robison served as the athletic director at Texas Tech until 1969. He served two more years on the athletics staff before finally retiring in 1971.

To honor Robison's years of service, the Polk Robison Men's Basketball Hall of Honor was created in 2003. It is located on the north side of the main lobby of United Spirit Arena

United Spirit Arena

United Spirit Arena is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The 15,020-seat arena opened in 1999 and is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball, Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball and Texas Tech Red Raiders women's volleyball teams...

.

Death

Robison died of natural causes

Death by natural causes

A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...

on Friday, June 27, 2008 at the age of 96.