Sports / Craig Robinson Oregon State Hoops Hope for Change They Can Believe In Obama brother-in-law takes over losing team By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff Posted Nov 9, 2008 1:35 PM CST Copied Oregon State men's basketball coach Craig Robinson, who is also the brother-in-law of President elect Barack Obama, watches Calvin Hayes during practices in Corvallis, Ore., Wednesday Nov 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens) Barack Obama isn't the only man in his family to face the daunting task of taking the helm of a struggling institution. The New York Times reports that brother-in-law Craig Robinson returns from stumping for Obama to his day job—coaching the Oregon State men's basketball team back from a 21-game losing streak. “Before this whole economy thing, I would have said that we had a bigger rebuilding job,” Robinson says. While some think that Robinson's connections may unfairly draw recruits to Oregon State, the coach's history shows a careful separation of sports and politics. As a man who left a lucrative finance career to follow his passion, Robinson's priorities are clear. "This is about the rest of their life," he says of leading his team. (More Craig Robinson stories.) Report an error