Michael Christopher "Topex" Robinson (born December 25, 1976)[1] is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the De La Salle Green Archers of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). He previously coached the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted 44th overall by the Tanduay Rhum Masters.
 Robinson (center) and the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters during a timeout. | |
| De La Salle Green Archers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head coach |
| League | UAAP |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 25, 1976 Olongapo City, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Listed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Listed weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | San Sebastian College – Recoletos |
| PBA draft | 2001: 3rd round, 44th overall pick |
| Selected by the Tanduay Rhum Masters | |
| Playing career | 1999–2011 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 5, 11 |
| Coaching career | 2011–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1999–2000 | San Juan Knights |
| 2003–2008 | Red Bull Barako |
| 2008–2009 | Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants |
| 2010–2011 | Alaska Aces |
| As coach: | |
| 2011–2012, 2013–2014 | San Sebastian Recolletos |
| 2011–2017 | Alaska Aces (assistant) |
| 2015–2019 | Lyceum |
| 2017–2020 | Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters (assistant) |
| 2020–2022 | Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters |
| 2023–present | De La Salle University |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As head coach:
As assistant coach: | |
Playing career
editRobinson played point guard. He played for Montaña in the PBL and was then signed as a free agent by Yeng Guiao in 2003 to play for Red Bull Thunder as a backup point guard.
After the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference ended, the Red Bull Barako waived him. He was immediately signed by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants for the 2008-09 PBA season.[2] During the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference, he was signed by Alaska. He also first played for the San Juan Knights in the MBA.
Coaching career
editRobinson started as an assistant under Tim Cone in Alaska Aces, his last played team in the middle of 2010–11 season.[3][4]
Robinson was named coach of the RnW Pacific Pipes team in the PBA D-League during the 2011 PBA D-League Foundation Cup, leading the team to the quarterfinals.[5] In June 2011, Robinson was named coach of the San Sebastian Stags.[6] After the Stags lost to the San Beda Red Lions in the Finals of NCAA Season 87, Robinson led the Stags to the 2011 Philippine Collegiate Championship, beating the Ateneo Blue Eagles in two games.[7][8]
In 2012, he returned to the PBA as he joined the Alaska Aces as an assistant coach to Luigi Trillo and Alex Compton from 2012 to 2017.[9] Robinson also served as the head coach of the Lyceum Pirates from 2015 to 2019. He led the Pirates to winning the title in the 2017 PCCL National Collegiate Championship, beating the San Beda Red Lions.[10][11] In 2018, Robinson led Zark's-Lyceum to the championship in the 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants' Cup.[12][13] He became the head coach of the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters in 2020.[14]
Robinson left Phoenix in January 2023.[15][16][17][18] In the same month, he was named as the new head coach of the De La Salle Green Archers.[19][20][21][22] In his first year, he led the Green Archers to their first UAAP Finals appearance since 2017,[23][24] and ended a seven-year title drought.[25][26] Robinson joined a group of La Salle mentors who reached the UAAP Finals in their first year as head coach and won the championship. This includes coaches Franz Pumaren, Juno Sauler, and Aldin Ayo.[27][28] In June 2024, he was recognised by the Collegiate Press Corps as the UAAP Men's Basketball Coach of the Year for the 2023–24 season.[29][30]
Personal life
editRobinson studied in San Sebastian College – Recoletos, and played for the San Sebastian Stags in the NCAA.[31] Aside from being the head coach of the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP,[32] Robinson is taking up Sports Management at De La Salle University. He is currently the only UAAP student-coach to lead a team from a school where he is also studying.[33][34]
PBA career statistics
edit| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Season-by-season averages
edit| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Red Bull | 16 | 15.4 | .575 | .571 | .474 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .0 | 3.7 |
| 2004–05 | Red Bull | 70 | 17.0 | .353 | .179 | .488 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 1.0 | .1 | 3.6 |
| 2005–06 | Red Bull | 65 | 19.4 | .439 | .192 | .481 | 3.9 | 2.8 | .8 | .2 | 5.1 |
| 2006–07 | Red Bull | 51 | 16.4 | .417 | .100 | .448 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | .0 | 4.4 |
| 2007–08 | Red Bull | 45 | 17.7 | .407 | .184 | .545 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.3 | .1 | 5.9 |
| 2008–09 | Purefoods | 30 | 19.4 | .435 | .250 | .591 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.2 | .0 | 3.2 |
| 2009–10 | Alaska | 8 | 5.0 | .500 | — | — | .9 | .6 | .0 | .0 | .8 |
| 2010–11 | Alaska | 2 | 8.0 | — | — | — | 2.0 | 1.5 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Career | 287 | 17.3 | .413 | .191 | .502 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .1 | 4.3 | |
Coaching record
editCollegiate record
edit| Season | W | L | PCT | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PCT | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Sebastian Stags (NCAA) | |||||||||
| 2011 | 16 | 2 | .888 | 2nd | 4 | 1 | 3 | .667 | Runner-Up |
| 2012 | 7 | 3 | .700 | 2nd | – | – | – | – | (Resigned) |
| 2013 | 11 | 7 | .611 | 3rd | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | Final Four |
| 2014 | 5 | 13 | .277 | 8th | – | – | – | – | Eliminated |
| Lyceum Pirates (NCAA) | |||||||||
| 2015 | 4 | 14 | .222 | 9th | – | – | – | – | Eliminated |
| 2016 | 6 | 12 | .333 | 9th | – | – | – | – | Eliminated |
| 2017 | 18 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Runner-Up |
| 2018 | 15 | 3 | .833 | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Runner-Up |
| 2019 | 13 | 5 | .722 | 2nd | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Final Four |
| De La Salle Green Archers (UAAP) | |||||||||
| 2023 | 11 | 3 | .786 | 2nd | 4 | 3 | 1 | .750 | Champion |
| Totals | 106 | 62 | .630 | 16 | 6 | 10 | .275 | 1 championship | |
Professional career
edit| Team | Season | Conference | G | W | L | PCT | Finish | PG | W | L | PCT | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Super LPG | 2020 | Philippine Cup | 11 | 8 | 3 | .727 | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 3 | .500 | Lost in the Semifinals |
| Phoenix Super LPG | 2021 | Philippine Cup | 11 | 4 | 7 | .364 | 9th | – | – | – | – | Did not qualify |
| Governors' Cup | 11 | 5 | 6 | .445 | 8th | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in the Quarterfinals | ||
| Phoenix Super LPG | 2022–23 | Philippine Cup | 11 | 3 | 8 | .273 | 11th | – | – | – | – | Did not qualify |
| Commissioner's Cup | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 | 7th | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost in the Quarterfinals | ||
| Totals | 56 | 26 | 30 | .464 | Playoff Totals | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 0 championship | ||
References
edit- ^ "Bona fide Lasallista: UAAP champion Topex Robinson embraces freshly grown Taft roots". The Philippine Star. December 7, 2023.
- ^ Red Bull Undergoes Revamp
- ^ "How Tim Cone jumpstarted Topex Robinson's coaching career". ESPN.com. 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "How Tim Cone prepared Topex Robinson for coaching career". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "Gilmore-RnW duel kicks off PBA D-League". The Philippine Star. March 12, 2011.
- ^ "Robinson to coach Stags in 87th NCAA season". GMA News. June 30, 2011.
- ^ "Stags dethrone PCCL champ Blue Eagles". GMA News. December 15, 2011.
- ^ "Stags trim Blue Eagles for PCCL title". Inquirer. December 15, 2011.
- ^ "Cariaso to Topex: 'Coming from the Alaska culture, I expect more class'". Tiebreaker Times. March 3, 2022.
- ^ "Lyceum gets revenge, beats San Beda for PCCL title". ABS-CBN News. February 15, 2018.
- ^ "Topex savors first major title for Lyceum, but quick to turn focus on D-League stint". SPIN.ph. February 15, 2018.
- ^ "Zark's-Lyceum rallies past Che'Lu, seizes PBA D-League title". ABS-CBN News. May 1, 2018.
- ^ "Secret ingredient: Zark's Burger-Lyceum won the Aspirants' Cup crown because of trust". ESPN. May 2, 2018.
- ^ "Jeff Perlas named Lyceum coach as Topex Robinson leads Phoenix". Rappler. October 4, 2020.
- ^ "PBA: Topex Robinson leaves Phoenix Super LPG". ABS-CBN News. January 12, 2023.
- ^ "Phoenix parts ways with Topex Robinson; Jamike Jarin named as interim head coach". GMA News. January 12, 2023.
- ^ "PBA: Topex Robinson, Phoenix mutually part ways". Inquirer. January 12, 2023.
- ^ "Phoenix, Topex Robinson part ways after 5 years". Rappler. January 12, 2023.
- ^ "La Salle appoints Topex Robinson as new Green Archers coach". The Philippine Star. January 19, 2023.
- ^ "'Dream of mine': Topex Robinson named new La Salle coach". Rappler. January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Topex Robinson takes over as La Salle head coach". Inquirer. January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Topex Robinson tapped as new La Salle head coach". GMA News. January 19, 2023.
- ^ "Topex Robinson wants Finals-bound La Salle to 'enjoy the moment'". Inquirer. November 26, 2023.
- ^ "'Enjoy the moment': Topex Robinson wants La Salle to relish UAAP finals run vs UP". Rappler. November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Champ at last: Topex Robinson ends 'runner-up curse' with La Salle". Rappler. December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Now-champion coach Topex bares self-doubt after Archers lopsidedly lost Game 1". The Philippine Star. December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Topex Robinson follows footsteps of Pumaren, Sauler, Ayo". Manila Bulletin. December 6, 2023.
- ^ "After series of heartbreaks, winning first collegiate championship feels surreal for Topex Robinson". The Manila Times. December 7, 2023.
- ^ "Robinson, Escueta lead 7 top collegiate coaches in press corps awards". Rappler. June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Haydee Ong, Topex Robinson, NU coaches to be feted with Coach of the Year awards". Tiebreaker Times. June 11, 2024.
- ^ "In NCAA, hunger to prove worth is top quality, says player-turned-coach Topex Robinson". GMA News. May 6, 2021.
- ^ "Topex Robinson couldn't pass up the opportunity to coach 'dream school' La Salle". CNN Philippines. January 20, 2023. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023.
- ^ "COLUMN: Topex splits time coaching La Salle and finishing his degree". SPIN.ph. November 25, 2023.
- ^ "By becoming a DLSU student, Topex turns into best teacher to his players". SPIN.ph. December 8, 2023.
- ^ "Topex Robinson Player Profile - PBA-Online.net". PBA-Online.net. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014.