CLEVELAND — Cleveland State Men’s Basketball head coach Daniyal Robinson had never coached his son, Reece - until now.
“All along, he had his eyes on he wanted to play where I was coaching. It’s just a joy to see him on the baseline every day, see him in every team meeting. I get a little nervous when he’s out there on the court, but I feel confident because he works really hard,” Daniyal said.
Reece has always spent time around the teams his dad coached, but now that he’s a freshman forward for the Vikings, he’s in a different position.
“I love playing for my dad. Even though we have our ups and downs in practice sometimes, it's still a blessing,” Reece said.
“You know, I’m not sure if he’s really used to me yelling all the time because I’m so mild-mannered at home,” Daniyal said. “That's part of what we're growing through right now.”
The dynamic is center court for the rest of the team.
“There’s definitely been some times where I’m like, ‘That’s definitely a father-son connection,’” junior forward Dylan Arnett said.
"I see D-Rob. He doesn’t wanna say it, but he’s a little different. I feel like he’s more joyful because who doesn’t wanna play with their son? They have moments all the time where we’re just like, ‘Dang, that’s cool,’” senior guard Tevin Smith said.
There might not be special treatment, but there is a special bond.
“It's always been a dream of mine, it’s always been a dream of his, for me to go play for him,” Reece said.
“I'm blessed to be able to coach him every single day,” Daniyal said.
Carly Mascitti is a sports anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @carlymascitti.
