BOONE, N.C.- Appalachian State University men's basketball coach Houston Fancher has announced the hiring of alumnus Darryl Robinson as an assistant coach. Robinson replaces Lavell Hall, who left Appalachian to take the athletic director position for Watauga County schools. "We are thrilled to be adding Darryl to our staff," stated Fancher. "Not only is he an outstanding coach, he is a person of impeccable character. I look forward to him getting to know our players and influencing their lives. The Appalachian basketball community will benefit greatly from Darryl's return." Robinson comes to the Mountaineers from Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, N.C., where he has been the head coach since 1993, leading the team to the North Carolina state playoffs nine out of his 10 seasons. From 1998-2002 Robinson's squads reached the state quarterfinals five consecutive times, including a trip to the state finals in 2001. During his tenure at Leesville Road, Robinson was named the conference coach of the year twice, and mentored his son, Shawan Robinson, who went on to earn a basketball scholarship to Clemson in 2002. Prior to coaching at Leesvile Road, Robinson was an assistant at Coastal Carolina during the 1992-93 campaign. He served at Raleigh's Hale High School for five seasons from 1987-92. "I am excited to be on coach Fancher's staff at my alma mater," said Robinson. "I have many great memories of ASU. I hope to help continue the success that the program has enjoyed under Houston. I look forward to being a part of the staff and returning to the Appalachian family." A 1979 graduate of Appalachian State University with a degree in psychology, Robinson played for Bobby Cremins from 1975-79. A talented guard, he spurred the team to a 23-6 record, the best in school history, and its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1979. The No. 5 scorer in Mountaineer history, Robinson finished his career with 1,631 points. A two-time All-Southern Conference honoree, he was named to the SoCon All-Tournament team on three occasions, and was named tournament MVP in 1979. One of just four players in Appalachian history to be drafted into the NBA, Robinson was chosen by the Portland Trailblazers in the 1979 NBA Draft and went on to play professionally in Israel from 1981-86. Robinson is married to Gwen Robinson, and the couple has two children, Shawan (19) and Joy (16).