Robert Lee (basketball coach)
Encyclopedia
Robert Lee was the head coach for the University of Louisiana
men's basketball
team from 2004-2010.
. He was denied the head job twice before he was finally promoted when the head coach at the time (Glynn Cyprien
) was fired for using fraudulent credentials in 2004.
season, Lee lead the team to a 20-11 record and a second straight Sun Belt championship. This success earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament
although they fail short to Louisville (68-62) in a regional game. This loss occurred in Nashville
, Tennessee
Lee also directed the Tigers to the state quarterfinals one year earlier in 1994-95 with a 29-8 record, when he was named St. Landry Parish’s Coach of the Year for the second straight year. The first of those honors came in the 1993-94 season when Opelousas High advanced to the Top 28 state tournament and compiled a 31-6 record.
He began his prep coaching career in 1992-93 at OHS where he guided the Tigers to the bi-district playoffs and a 20-10 record. He was named the Coach of the Year on the All-Acadiana team by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser that season, and the successes of the next three years gave him a career-prep record of 109-29 (.790) including four straight playoff appearances.
Before launching his coaching career at Opelousas High, Lee served for one year as a student assistant at Nicholls State in 1990-91 under head coach Ricky Broussard.
twice, while claiming two Sun Belt West Division championships.
In working with the Louisiana-Lafayette backcourt, Lee helped guide two Cajun guards into career 1,000-point members and shaped Antoine Landry into a career year during his senior season. Lee worked with Blane Harmon and Brad Boyd, both of whom joined the 1,000-point club. In the 2003-04 season, Boyd became the Cajuns’ all-time leader in three-point field goals made.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
men's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team from 2004-2010.
Obtaining the position
Robert Lee was the assistant coach of the basketball team for many years before he received the opportunity to become the head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. He was denied the head job twice before he was finally promoted when the head coach at the time (Glynn Cyprien
Glynn Cyprien
Glynn Cyprien is an American basketball coach and is currently an assistant under Billy Kennedy at Texas A&M University in College Station. He previously assisted Josh Pastner at the University of Memphis, Billy Gillispie at the University of Kentucky, and prior to that was an assistant coach at...
) was fired for using fraudulent credentials in 2004.
Leadership
In the 2004-2005 Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketballLouisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball
The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball program represents intercollegiate men's basketball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The school competes in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and play home...
season, Lee lead the team to a 20-11 record and a second straight Sun Belt championship. This success earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
although they fail short to Louisville (68-62) in a regional game. This loss occurred in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Opelousas High School
Lee joined the Ragin’ Cajuns basketball program during the summer of 1996 after serving four years as head coach at nearby Opelousas High School. Lee guided OHS to four consecutive 20-win seasons including a 29-5 mark in his year in 1995-96, which also included a berth in the state Class 4A quarterfinals. He was named the District 5-4A Coach of the Year for those efforts.Lee also directed the Tigers to the state quarterfinals one year earlier in 1994-95 with a 29-8 record, when he was named St. Landry Parish’s Coach of the Year for the second straight year. The first of those honors came in the 1993-94 season when Opelousas High advanced to the Top 28 state tournament and compiled a 31-6 record.
He began his prep coaching career in 1992-93 at OHS where he guided the Tigers to the bi-district playoffs and a 20-10 record. He was named the Coach of the Year on the All-Acadiana team by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser that season, and the successes of the next three years gave him a career-prep record of 109-29 (.790) including four straight playoff appearances.
Before launching his coaching career at Opelousas High, Lee served for one year as a student assistant at Nicholls State in 1990-91 under head coach Ricky Broussard.
Louisiana - Lafayette
During his tenure at Louisiana-Lafayette, Lee has been a part of a program which has advanced to the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals in six of the last seven seasons, won the Sun Belt Tournament in 2000, advanced to the NCAA Tournament once and the NITNational Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
twice, while claiming two Sun Belt West Division championships.
In working with the Louisiana-Lafayette backcourt, Lee helped guide two Cajun guards into career 1,000-point members and shaped Antoine Landry into a career year during his senior season. Lee worked with Blane Harmon and Brad Boyd, both of whom joined the 1,000-point club. In the 2003-04 season, Boyd became the Cajuns’ all-time leader in three-point field goals made.
Head coaching record
External links
- Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns official athletics website.
- Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Network official athletics network.
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette official university website.