Kevin Robinson Jr. believes the University’s Division III program can become one of the nation’s finest. The new athletic director laid out the roadmap for future success in an interview with Ï㽶ÊÓƵU magazine.
How has settling into the new role gone so far?
I’ve been doing on-campus interviews since I got here, which isn’t bad. It’s an opportunity to bring people in that fit my energy, enthusiasm, and passion for athletics. I’ve been getting around, meeting the people on campus. It’s very welcoming.
What are your goals?
I want us to be an elite athletic department. I want us to be in the top 20 to 25 athletic departments in the country. To do that, we have to improve our fundraising to give better resources to our student- athletes. We need to talk about the impact that fundraising has on our student-athletes.
How important is the student body?
The one thing I want to improve is how we get our student body over to our games. They need to take a break sometimes and relax a little bit by checking out a game. Our student-athletes thrive off of that.
How will the program balance competitive success with classroom achievement?
When it says student-athlete, the student is first. We want to assure our athletes here at Ï㽶ÊÓƵU that the excellence we’re committing ourselves to is in everything we do. We have to be elite in everything we do. We have to be elite students.
What do you want to be the bedrock of the program?
I think I’m in the process of still developing it. Right now, it’s about dominating today. I want everybody who comes in here to dominate the piece they’re trying to do and just get after it.
Your sisters Kate (All-American, B.A. 2010, M.S.M. 2012) and Mary (B.A. 2012) were lacrosse stars here. Do you feel their shadow looming?
Every time I walk out in the hallway, I can’t escape (Kate) looking at me. Her face is on the Hall of Fame board out there. What she was able to accomplish in her time at Ï㽶ÊÓƵU was just incredible. It gives me that family pride knowing my sisters were able to accomplish so much.
For people, what do you think they’ll experience at Cardinal athletics events?
It’s going to be done the right way, with humility. I want our fans to see our students represent the values of the University, the values of humility, integrity, courage, and justice.
What difference can alumni make in the department?
Be present! We want you there. Our alumni can help us with their time, treasure, and talent. We have a lot of great needs, whether they be capital projects, operational costs, and staffing needs that our alumni can help out with financially.
— M.P.
