VDN Renames Coaching Award in Honor of Dellie C. Robinson

VICKSBURG, MS – Dellie C. Robinson was honored last night at the annual “Meet the Gators” ceremony. The Vicksburg Daily News Boys’ Head Basketball Coach of the Year Award has officially been renamed to the “Coach Robinson Award.”

Coaching basketball is one thing Robinson rarely got wrong. He spent over 30 years as head coach with 25 of those years at Vicksburg High School.

In 1992, Robinson became the Gators’ Head Coach where he would stay until the day he retired. During his time at VHS, Robinson won district titles in 1995, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2011, and 2013. In 1995, Robinson’s Gators finished as South State runner-ups,and won the 1996 South State Championship. For his successful record with the Gators, he won the Vicksburg Post Coach of the Year Award a total of 10 times, as well as winning the 1997 Channel One Coach of the Year Award.

The 2003 State Championship would become one of the highlights of Robinson’s coaching career, with a 61-54 overtime win against Starkville. Before his retirement, Robinson led the Gators to two more championship appearances in 2011 and 2014.

In 2017, Robinson fell ill during halftime of a game and was escorted to a hospital. He was never able to return to coaching. At the time of his retirement, he accumulated nearly 800 wins, including the five years spent at Canton High School.

Robinson’s legacy still lives on today, with a long list of players who went on to play at the collegiate level and beyond.

He is now a proud grandfather, and continues to keep the game of basketball in close reach. He recently coached his grandkids basketball team at the YMCA earlier this year. 

Along with his family, some of Robinson’s former players were in attendance to watch him being honored. He is married to Hazel Robinson and they have three kids: Delmon Robinson, Deatra Robinson-Cable, and Teadra Robinson-Sudds.