Coach Dan Robinson Endowed Scholarship

Efforts are underway to create an endowed scholarship to honor the life and legacy of Dan Robinson, a World War II veteran, former head football coach at Western Carolina University, Jackson County Manager, North Carolina State Senator, Wildlife Commissioner, and advocate for western North Carolina.

Several former WCU student-athletes who played football for Robinson in the 1960s are spearheading the campaign to create the endowed scholarship that will provide educational financial assistance for western North Carolina high school football players with preference given to student-athletes from Robinson's seven-county state senatorial district, including Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain.

Robinson passed away February 11, 2022 at the age of 95. He was a native of McDowell County, NC. At age 18, he was a member of the U.S. Navy and participated in the Normandy Invasion. After World War II, he enrolled at Western Carolina and was an all-star lineman that helped the Catamounts win the 1949 North State Conference championship.

He became Western Carolina's head football coach in 1956 and served in that role for 13 seasons in which he aided in the development of hundreds of public school teachers, coaches and administrators, successful businessmen and government leaders.

Following his retirement from coaching, Robinson became a well-known and highly respected public servant as Jackson County's first county manager, North Carolina Wildlife Commissioner, and a two-term State Senator for North Carolina's 56th District where he was a funding advocate for WCU and the seven counties in his district. 

Check out this amazing story and video with Coach Robinson - https://www.wcu.edu/stories/po...