Rob Lanier
{{Short description|American basketball coach (born 1968)}}
{{similar names|Robert Lanier (disambiguation){{!}}Robert Lanier}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Rob Lanier
| image = File:Rob Lanier.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Lanier in 2008
| current_title = Head coach
| current_team = Rice
| current_conference = The American
| current_record = {{winpct|13|19|record=y}}
| contract =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|7|24}}
| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1986–1990
| player_team1 = St. Bonaventure
| coach_years1 = 1990–1992
| coach_team1 = Niagara (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1992–1997
| coach_team2 = St. Bonaventure (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1997–1999
| coach_team3 = Rutgers (assistant)
| coach_years4 = 1999–2001
| coach_team4 = Texas (assistant)
| coach_years5 = 2001–2005
| coach_team5 = Siena
| coach_years6 = 2005–2007
| coach_team6 = Virginia (assistant)
| coach_years7 = 2007–2011
| coach_team7 = Florida (assistant)
| coach_years8 = 2011–2015
| coach_team8 = Texas (assistant)
| coach_years9 = 2015–2019
| coach_team9 = Tennessee (assistant)
| coach_years10 = 2019–2022
| coach_team10 = Georgia State
| coach_years11 = 2022–2024
| coach_team11 = SMU
| coach_years12 = 2024–present
| coach_team12 = Rice
| overall_record = {{winpct|154|154|record=y}}
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = 1–2 (NCAA Division I)
2–2 (NIT)
| championships = {{Plainlist|
- MAAC tournament (2002)
- Sun Belt tournament (2022)
- Sun Belt East division (2021)
}}
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Robert A. Lanier (born July 24, 1968) is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as the head coach for the Rice Owls. Previously, he was the head coach at Southern Methodist University. He also served as the head coach at Georgia State from 2019 to 2022 and Siena from 2001 to 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/coaches/rob-lanier-1.html|title=Rob Lanier Coaching Record|website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com}}
Playing career
Lanier played his college basketball at St. Bonaventure, where he scored 868 career points and was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Freshman Team.{{cite web|url=http://utsports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1892|title=Rob Lanier – Men's Basketball Coach|website=University of Tennessee Athletics}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/rob-lanier-2.html|title=Rob Lanier College Stats|website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com}}
Coaching career
Lanier's first coaching stop was at Niagara as an assistant for two seasons before moving back to an assistant coaching spot at his alma mater. After a two-year stop at Rutgers, Lanier joined Rick Barnes's staff at Texas.{{cite web|url=http://texassports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=126|title=Rob Lanier – Men's Basketball Coach|website=University of Texas Athletics}} In 2001, he was hired for his first head coaching job at Siena College where in his first season at the helm, he guided the Saints to a MAAC conference tournament championship and spot in the 2002 NCAA tournament where they defeated Alcorn State in the opening round, and lost to eventual national champion Maryland in the first round.{{cite news|last=Amedio|first=Steve|title=Shaken Saints hoping to recover tonight against Griffins|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nnIhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pYgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6897,6234210&dq=rob+lanier&hl=en|accessdate=October 24, 2010|newspaper=The Daily Gazette|date=January 25, 2002}}{{cite web|url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=211798571&DB_OEM_ID=12700|title=Rob Lanier|website=GeorgiaStateSports.com}} He also led Siena to a 2003 NIT appearance where the Saints advanced to the third round with wins over Western Michigan and Villanova. After four seasons and a 58–70 record, Lanier was fired by Siena.{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Siena-fires-Coach-Rob-Lanier/72951110385426/|title=Siena fires Coach Rob Lanier|website=UPI}}
Lanier joined the coaching staffs at Virginia and Florida before reuniting with Barnes at both Texas and Tennessee. On April 5, 2019, Lanier was named the head coach at Georgia State University, replacing Ron Hunter who accepted the head coaching position at Tulane.{{cite web|url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=211798542&DB_OEM_ID=12700|title=Georgia State Names Tennessee Associate Head Coach Rob Lanier Head Coach|website=GeorgiaStateSports.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/mark-bradley/georgia-state-picks-rob-lanier-solid-hire/x3kUoc0FaHmYTHQFkOefNK/|title=Georgia State picks Rob Lanier. It's a solid hire|first=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|last=Mark Bradley|website=ajc}}
Lanier went 53–30 in 3 seasons at Georgia State, until he accepted the head coach position at Southern Methodist University on March 27, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33610878/smu-names-rob-lanier-53-proven-leader-mustangs-next-men-basketball-coach|title=SMU names Rob Lanier, 53, 'a proven leader,' Mustangs' next men's basketball coach|work=ESPN|date=March 27, 2022|accessdate=April 8, 2024}}
On March 21, 2024, SMU fired Lanier.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/smu-lanier-fired-ca4a900f284c174aef3db6af8a4a4d65|title=ACC-bound SMU fires coach Rob Lanier after 2 seasons|work=Associated Press|date=March 21, 2024|accessdate=April 8, 2024}} Several days later, Lanier was hired by Rice University.{{cite web|url=https://riceowls.com/news/2024/3/24/rob-lanier-named-26th-head-mens-basketball-coach|title=Rob Lanier Named 26th Head Men's Basketball Coach|work=Rice University|date=March 24, 2024|accessdate=April 8, 2024}}
Personal
Lanier is the cousin of former NBA player and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member Bob Lanier. Lanier's son Emory played basketball for Southern Methodist University.{{Cite web|url=https://davidsonwildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/emory-lanier/8133|title=Emory Lanier – Men's Basketball|website=Davidson College Athletics}}
Head coaching record
{{CBB Yearly Record Start|type=coach|conference =|postseason=|poll=both}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name =Siena Saints
| conference=Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
| startyear =2001
| endyear =2005
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship= conference tournament
| season= 2001–02
| name= Siena
| overall= 17–19
| conference= 9–9
| confstanding= 7th
| postseason= NCAA Division I Round of 64
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season= 2002–03
| name= Siena
| overall= 21–11
| conference= 12–6
| confstanding= 3rd
| postseason= NIT Second Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season= 2003–04
| name= Siena
| overall= 14–16
| conference= 9–9
| confstanding= 6th
| postseason=
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season= 2004–05
| name= Siena
| overall= 6–24
| conference= 4–14
| confstanding= 10th
| postseason=
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Siena
| overall = {{winpct|58|70|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|34|38|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name =Georgia State Panthers
| conference=Sun Belt Conference
| startyear =2019
| endyear =2022
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season= 2019–20
| name= Georgia State
| overall= 19–13
| conference= 12–8
| confstanding= T–4th
| postseason=
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship= division
| season= 2020–21
| name= Georgia State
| overall= 16–6
| conference= 8–4
| confstanding= 1st (East)
| postseason=
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship= conference tournament
| season= 2021–22
| name= Georgia State
| overall= 18–11
| conference= 9–5
| confstanding= 3rd
| postseason= NCAA Division I Round of 64
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Georgia State
| overall = {{winpct|53|30|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|29|17|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = SMU Mustangs
| conference = American Athletic Conference
| startyear = 2022
| endyear = 2024
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2022–23
| name = SMU
| overall = 10–22
| conference = 5–13
| confstanding = 10th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2023–24
| name = SMU
| overall = 20–13
| conference = 11–7
| confstanding = T–5th
| postseason = NIT First Round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = SMU
| overall = {{winpct|30|35|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|16|20|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Rice Owls
| conference = American Athletic Conference
| startyear = 2024
| endyear =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2024–25
| name = Rice
| overall = 13–19
| conference = 4–14
| confstanding = 12th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Rice
| overall = {{winpct|13|19|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|4|14|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = {{winpct|154|154|record=y}}
| poll =
| polltype =
| polltype2 =
}}
Footnotes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{American Athletic Conference men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Navboxes| list1 =
{{Siena Saints men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Georgia State Panthers men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{SMU Mustangs men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Rice Owls men's basketball coach navbox}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanier, Rob}}
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from New York (state)
Category:Basketball players from New York City
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:Florida Gators men's basketball coaches
Category:Georgia State Panthers men's basketball coaches
Category:Niagara Purple Eagles men's basketball coaches
Category:Rice Owls men's basketball coaches
Category:Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball coaches
Category:Siena Saints men's basketball coaches
Category:St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball coaches
Category:St. Bonaventure Bonnies men's basketball players
Category:Tennessee Volunteers basketball coaches
Category:Texas Longhorns men's basketball coaches