The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
Full Name: Robert A. Lanier
Date of Birth: July 24, 1968
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
High School: Mount St. Joseph Academy (Buffalo, N.Y.)
College: St. Bonaventure `90
Graduate Degree: Niagara `93
Wife: Dr. Dayo Lanier
Children: Emory (son), Kai (daughter)
4th season as Associate Head Coach | 6th season at Texas
Rob Lanier enters his fourth season as associate head coach at The University of Texas and his sixth year in association with Rick Barnes.
Lanier, who previously served as head coach at Siena College and as an assistant coach at Texas, Florida, Virginia, Rutgers and St. Bonaventure, was named associate head basketball coach at The University of Texas on April 12, 2011. During his first three seasons back with the Longhorns, the 46-year-old Lanier has helped Texas post a 60-43 (.583) mark and advance to a pair of NCAA Tournaments.
UT’s three-man recruiting class in 2014 featured McDonald’s All-American Myles Turner (No. 2 recruit by ESPN), No. 86-ranked prospect Jordan Barnett and transfer Shaquille Cleare, who was rated the No. 30 prospect in 2012 by ESPN.Texas’ six-man freshman class in 2012 was ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN and included McDonald’s All-American Cameron Ridley, while UT’s six-man freshman class in 2011 was tabbed the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation by ESPN and included McDonald’s All-American Myck Kabongo.
Before returning to Texas, he served as assistant coach at The University of Florida for the previous four seasons (2007-08 to 2010-11). In those four years, Lanier helped the Gators post a 99-44 (.692) mark and advance to post-season play in all four seasons. Florida went 24-12 in 2007-08 and reached the semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Gators recorded a 25-11 mark in 2008-09 and advanced to the NIT quarterfinals. In 2009-10, Florida posted a 21-13 record and reached the NCAA First Round. The Gators then registered a 29-8 mark in 2010-11, won the Southeastern Conference regular season championship (13-3 record) and advanced to the NCAA “Elite Eight.”
Prior to his time at Florida, Lanier served as an assistant coach at The University of Virginia for two seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07). During his second year in Charlottesville (2006-07), the Cavaliers posted a 21-11 record and advanced to the NCAA Second Round. Despite being picked to finish eighth in the conference, Virginia registered an 11-5 mark and claimed a share of the ACC regular-season championship with North Carolina. This marked the first league title for the Cavaliers since the 1994-95 season.
Lanier was the head coach at Siena College for four years (2001-02 to 2004-05) before coming to Virginia. During Lanier’s four seasons at Siena, the Saints posted a 58-70 mark and participated in one NCAA Tournament and one NIT.
Siena won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament Championship in 2002 to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Saints then defeated Alcorn State in the NCAA Tournament opening-round game before losing to eventual national champion Maryland in the first round. During the 2002-03 season, Lanier guided Siena to a 21-11 record a third-place finish in the MAAC with a 12-6 league mark. The Saints earned a berth in the NIT, where they defeated Villanova in the opening round and Western Michigan in the first round, before falling to UAB in the second round. Siena also defeated Providence during the regular season, marking the first time in school history that the Saints had defeated two Big East Conference teams (Villanova and Providence) in the same season.
Prior to becoming the head coach at Siena, Lanier was an assistant coach at Texas for two seasons (1999-2001). During his previous time in Austin, the Longhorns recorded a 49-18 (.731) mark and advanced to a pair of NCAA Tournaments. Texas posted a 24-9 record in 1999-2000, finished second in the Big 12 Conference with a 13-3 mark and advanced to the NCAA Second Round. The Horns earned a No. 15 ranking in the final Associated Press poll (top mark in school history at that time) and were ranked in The AP Top 25 all season for the first time in school history. Junior center Chris Mihm developed into one of the top players in the nation, earning consensus first-team All-America honors, and was selected as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls (traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft night).
Lanier was a vital part of UT’s recruiting success, helping the Horns land a consensus Top 10 national class that included Brian Boddicker, Royal Ivey, Jason Klotz, Brandon Mouton and James Thomas. During the 2000-01 season, UT registered a 25-9 record, finished in a tie for second in the Big 12 with a 12-4 mark and advanced to the NCAA First Round. Lanier helped mold four true freshmen and eight total newcomers into a squad that ranked No. 18 in the final AP poll. The Horns tied a school record for most home wins in a season (16-1 mark) and defeated two AP Top 10 teams (No. 5 Illinois, No. 6 Iowa State) at home in the same season for the first time in school history. Prior to Lanier’s departure for the head coaching job at Siena, he played a major role in the recruitment of T.J. Ford, who went on to earn National Player of the Year honors with the Longhorns in 2002-03.
Lanier served as an assistant coach at Rutgers University for two years (1997-98 and 1998-99). While at Rutgers, he was instrumental in helping the Scarlet Knights secure back-to-back nationally-ranked recruiting classes. Included in Lanier’s first class was guard Dahntay Jones, who went on to earn Big East All-Rookie Team honors in 1998-99 and currently plays for the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.
Prior to joining the staff at Rutgers, Lanier spent five seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure (1992-93 to 1996-97). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant and restricted earnings assistant coach at Niagara University (1990-91 to 1991-92).
Lanier received his first head coaching experience in the summer of 1995, when he led a group of American collegians on a tour of the Netherlands. He also coached summer All-Star teams in Italy (1996), Germany (1998) and Greece (1999 and 2000).
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Lanier graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. A four-year letterman with the Bonnies who scored 868 career points, he was a three-year starter and team captain during his senior season. Lanier earned Atlantic 10 Conference All-Freshman Team honors in 1986-87 and was named the team’s Most Improved Player in 1988-89. A two-time scholar-athlete nominee, he went on to earn a master’s degree from Niagara in educational counseling in 1993.
Born July 24, 1968, Lanier and his wife, Dr. Dayo Lanier, have one son, Emory (born June 9, 2001) and one daughter, Kai (born March 15, 2003).
