President Obama’s brother-in-law is joining ESPN as a men’s college basketball analyst, the network announced Tuesday.
Craig Robinson, a former head coach at Oregon State University and Brown University, is the brother of first lady Michelle Obama. He’ll call basketball game telecasts for the network and provide analysis on ESPNU’s studio programming.
{mosads}“I am extremely honored and excited to join ESPN and its college basketball team,” Robinson said in a press release. “The chance to remain close to the sport I love, expand my horizons and be a part of ESPN and The Walt Disney Company is a tremendous opportunity.”
When the first couple began dating, Robinson famously challenged the future president to a pickup game of basketball to vet him.
“When I played basketball with Barack, he was quietly confident, which means he had good self-esteem without being cocky,” Robinson once told Esquire.
“He was certainly a team player — he wasn’t a pig, he passed when he was supposed to pass, and he cut when he was supposed to cut,” he continued. “To me, that speaks to a lack of selfishness. He had natural leadership ability, because he didn’t just pass me the ball because he was dating my sister.”
The president and his brother-in-law have remained close since then, and the Obamas would regularly attend Oregon State games when the team was playing near Washington, D.C.