Princeton University Athletics
Craig Robinson ’83 Selected as Baccalaureate Speaker for Princeton Class of 2026
November 25, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Storied basketball player, coach and commentator Craig Robinson will be Princeton's 2026 Baccalaureate speaker. Robinson is the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), a Class of 1983 graduate and a former finance executive.
Baccalaureate, an end-of-year interfaith service that is one of Princeton's oldest traditions, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 24.
The Baccalaureate speaker was selected by the Trustee Committee on Honorary Degrees. The Baccalaureate service begins the three days of graduation celebrations for the Class of 2026 and emphasizes to seniors the value and importance of service.
Robinson served Princeton as an Alumni Trustee from 2018 to 2022 and is a former member of the President's Advisory Council. He also co-chaired the steering committee for the 2019 "Thrive" conference, which brought more than 1,200 Princeton alumni and guests to campus.
Robinson has more than 30 years of experience as a professional and collegiate basketball executive, coach, commentator and player, in addition to a career in investment banking and finance. He is one of the top men's basketball players in Ivy League history, earning conference Player of the Year twice during his career as a Tiger from 1979 to 1983.
In a letter of invitation to speak at Baccalaureate, President Christopher L. Eisgruber noted that Robinson has "demonstrated how to live a life of service in a wide range of careers" and that his "commitment to supporting the growth and success of others" will resonate with graduating students.
Class of 2026 President Minna Abdella said fellow seniors are "grateful for the opportunity to learn" from Robinson as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
"We are inspired by his example of character. Throughout his career as a celebrated athlete, accomplished coach and distinguished leader in both higher education and the private sector, he has embodied Princeton's informal motto, 'In the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity,'" Abdella said. "His commitment to mentorship and empowering others represents the very best of what we hope to carry with us beyond our time at Princeton."
Robinson has served as executive director of the NABC since 2020. Prior to that, he spent three years as vice president of player development and G League operations for the NBA's New York Knicks, a role that included serving as general manager of the Westchester Knicks. He held a similar position in player and organizational development for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
Before his time as a sports executive, Robinson was a Division I head men's basketball coach at Oregon State University and Brown University. His teams won 30 games in his two seasons at Brown, more than any other head coach in their first two years with the program. During his first year at Oregon State, Robinson took a team that had finished winless in conference play the prior season to win 18 games and subsequently the first postseason title in the program's history, the College Basketball Invitational. He led the team to 94 wins and four postseason appearances during his six years with the Beavers.
Robinson's coaching career also includes six seasons as an assistant coach at Northwestern University, as well as positions at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the high school at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.
While a Princeton undergraduate, he led the men's basketball team to three Ivy League titles and two wins in NCAA Tournament games. After graduating with a degree in sociology, Robinson played professional basketball internationally and later earned his M.B.A. in finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He has held executive roles for Continental Bank, Morgan Stanley and Loop Capital Markets.
In addition, Robinson has worked as a commentator for ESPN and is the author of the memoir "A Game of Character: A Family Journey From Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond." He currently co-hosts the podcast "IMO" with his sister, former First Lady Michelle Obama, a Princeton Class of 1985 graduate.
Baccalaureate, an end-of-year interfaith service that is one of Princeton's oldest traditions, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 24.
The Baccalaureate speaker was selected by the Trustee Committee on Honorary Degrees. The Baccalaureate service begins the three days of graduation celebrations for the Class of 2026 and emphasizes to seniors the value and importance of service.
Robinson served Princeton as an Alumni Trustee from 2018 to 2022 and is a former member of the President's Advisory Council. He also co-chaired the steering committee for the 2019 "Thrive" conference, which brought more than 1,200 Princeton alumni and guests to campus.
Robinson has more than 30 years of experience as a professional and collegiate basketball executive, coach, commentator and player, in addition to a career in investment banking and finance. He is one of the top men's basketball players in Ivy League history, earning conference Player of the Year twice during his career as a Tiger from 1979 to 1983.
In a letter of invitation to speak at Baccalaureate, President Christopher L. Eisgruber noted that Robinson has "demonstrated how to live a life of service in a wide range of careers" and that his "commitment to supporting the growth and success of others" will resonate with graduating students.
Class of 2026 President Minna Abdella said fellow seniors are "grateful for the opportunity to learn" from Robinson as they enter the next chapter of their lives.
"We are inspired by his example of character. Throughout his career as a celebrated athlete, accomplished coach and distinguished leader in both higher education and the private sector, he has embodied Princeton's informal motto, 'In the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity,'" Abdella said. "His commitment to mentorship and empowering others represents the very best of what we hope to carry with us beyond our time at Princeton."
Robinson has served as executive director of the NABC since 2020. Prior to that, he spent three years as vice president of player development and G League operations for the NBA's New York Knicks, a role that included serving as general manager of the Westchester Knicks. He held a similar position in player and organizational development for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.
Before his time as a sports executive, Robinson was a Division I head men's basketball coach at Oregon State University and Brown University. His teams won 30 games in his two seasons at Brown, more than any other head coach in their first two years with the program. During his first year at Oregon State, Robinson took a team that had finished winless in conference play the prior season to win 18 games and subsequently the first postseason title in the program's history, the College Basketball Invitational. He led the team to 94 wins and four postseason appearances during his six years with the Beavers.
Robinson's coaching career also includes six seasons as an assistant coach at Northwestern University, as well as positions at the Illinois Institute of Technology and the high school at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.
While a Princeton undergraduate, he led the men's basketball team to three Ivy League titles and two wins in NCAA Tournament games. After graduating with a degree in sociology, Robinson played professional basketball internationally and later earned his M.B.A. in finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He has held executive roles for Continental Bank, Morgan Stanley and Loop Capital Markets.
In addition, Robinson has worked as a commentator for ESPN and is the author of the memoir "A Game of Character: A Family Journey From Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond." He currently co-hosts the podcast "IMO" with his sister, former First Lady Michelle Obama, a Princeton Class of 1985 graduate.
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