Robert Lawrence Lee (born March 12, 1968) is an American former basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from 2004 to 2010.
Born in New Roads, Louisiana, Lee graduated from Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee in New Roads. At Nicholls State University, Lee played under Gordon Stauffer on the Nicholls State Colonels men's basketball team from 1986 to 1990 before becoming a student assistant in the 1990âÂÂ91 season. As a senior, Lee started all 27 games played and averaged 12.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. Lee completed his bachelor's degree in general studies in May 1991.
From 1992 to 1996, Lee was head coach at Opelousas High School in Opelousas, Louisiana. In five seasons, Lee had a cumulative 109âÂÂ29 record.
From 1996 to 2004, Lee was an assistant coach at LouisianaâÂÂLafayette under Marty Fletcher and Jessie Evans. During those years, LouisianaâÂÂLafayette won the Sun Belt tournament in 2000 with an automatic qualification to the NCAA tournament, along with two NIT appearances and two Sun Belt West Division championships in 2002 and 2003.
On August 17, 2004, Lee was promoted to head coach. This followed the firing of Glynn Cyprien over resume issues.
In six seasons as head coach, Lee had a cumulative 80âÂÂ100 record. Although LouisianaâÂÂLafayette finished 2004âÂÂ05 with a 20âÂÂ11 record, Sun Belt Tournament title, and NCAA Tournament appearance, the NCAA vacated 17 wins, the conference title, and postseason appearance from that season due to the academic ineligibility of Orien Greene. Due to resulting NCAA sanctions combined with a low Academic Progress Rate score after his second season, Lee could offer only a reduced number of scholarships beginning in 2007âÂÂ08. Despite these sanctions and having one of the youngest rosters in the Sun Belt, the team won the Sun Belt West Division co-championship in 2008 with a 15âÂÂ15 (11âÂÂ7 Sun Belt) record, which would be the best single-season winning percentage in Lee's tenure.
In his final season, LouisianaâÂÂLafayette finished 13âÂÂ17 (10âÂÂ8 Sun Belt). On March 9, 2010, following a loss to LouisianaâÂÂMonroe in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament, LouisianaâÂÂLafayette announced that Lee's contract would not be renewed.
After leaving LouisianaâÂÂLafayette, Lee was an assistant at in-state Sun Belt rival LouisianaâÂÂMonroe under Keith Richard in the 2010âÂÂ11 season. Again in the Sun Belt, Lee was an assistant at ArkansasâÂÂLittle Rock under Steve Shields from 2011 to 2014.
After a year away from basketball, in the summer of 2015, Lee became head coach at Morgan City High School in Morgan City, Louisiana. He left after one season with a 12âÂÂ18 record.