Who will replace Daniyal Robinson at Cleveland State?

Well, here we go once again.

After taking over for Dennis Gates, Daniyal Robinson, whose 65 wins in his time at Cleveland State is the most ever by a Vikings head coach in their first three years, has been tabbed to take over for Russ Hodge at North Texas, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

This time, however, the dynamics at Cleveland State are considerably different than when it had to seek a replacement for Gates in 2022. Scott Garrett, who was athletic director at CSU for both the Gates and Robinson hires, has been gone for more than a year. His replacement, Kelsie Gory Harkey, may or may not be in this position after June 1st, as her contract is set to expire on May 31st. And there’s no indication that Cleveland State is planning to extend her contract or seek out another AD.

Regardless, with time of the essence, this will be Gory Harkey’s call. So, let’s take at some of the potential names that could appear as candidates to replace Robinson. And if some of these names look familiar to you, well, we do pride ourselves in rounding up the usual suspects.

J.R. Blount, assistant coach, Iowa State: It worked out the last time with seeking out a Cyclone assistant with Robinson. Seems like Blount should get top consideration for this job as well. His name has been floated for multiple coaching positions in recent years, and the Milwaukee native and Loyola-Chicago alum would find Cleveland State a fitting home for him. And give his accolades as an assistant under TJ Otzelberger at ISU and, prior to that, Niko Medved at Colorado State, it would make perfect sense that he finally transitions from candidate to hire.

Jermaine Henderson, assistant coach, Dayton: One of the first hires Robinson made in 2022 was Henderson, who’s had multiple assistant stints, including his most recent turn with the Flyers. Robinson credited the hard-nosed defense that has become a CSU signature to Henderson. And, of course, let’s not forget that Henderson was familiar with Cleveland State long before Robinson arrived, having served as an assistant under Gary Waters. Henderson, like Blount, is one of those assistants that have been probably long looked upon as a potential head coaching candidate. Perhaps, this year will be the year that one or the other gets the nod.

Rob Summers, assistant coach, Missouri: Summers was a candidate to replaces Gates before ultimately Robinson got the job. Could this be a case of if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again? Summers spent a year at Miami (OH) before joining Gates at Mizzou. And the results certainly spoke volumes with him on staff. The Tigers, after going 0-18 in 2023-24, ended up as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It’s likely not a coincidence that Summers on staff was a difference-maker. And with some head coaching experience at the non-D1 level, this may finally be his moment.

Jason Shay, assistant coach, Wake Forest: The longtime assistant to Steve Forbes, and John Parker’s pick has been a key part of the Demon Deacons staff since his one-season stint at ETSU came abruptly to an end in 2021. Given where Wake Forest is now, it’s time that Shay gets another shot at the head coaching apple. He might also get a nudge up, given that Garrett, the former CSU AD, is an associate AD at WKU.

Patrick Sellers, head coach, Central Connecticut State: Reportedly, Sellers was in the mix for the Detroit Mercy job that ultimately went to Mark Montgomery. But the last two seasons at CCSU have been two of the best in the school’s history, netting regular season titles for the Blue Devils in both campaigns. Cleveland State could have the advantage if salary is a factor, as Horizon League schools tend to outmatch their NEC counterparts. And with Sellers taking previous interested in a job in the Midwest, there could be some mutual intrigue here as well.

Travis Lewis, head coach, Central State: This would be considered a dark horse candidate, along with John Fanta’s suggestion that current CSU assistant Jay Shunnar be given a look. Both have a great deal of familiarity with the program, but between the two, Lewis would have the edge. Within a year, Lewis transformed a Marauder program that was a moribund 3-25 into a solid contender in the SIAC. If this was a year from now, Lewis would certainly be in the mix for this job. As it stands now, he would be an outside shot for this role.

Update: All these potential candidates, and several more, were discussed during out livestream on our YouTube channel. You can watch the recording here: