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Lonnie Robinson named "Montana" Coach of the Year

05/07/2019, 11:15am CDT
By Adam Barta, Minnesota Blizzard

Long-time Blizzard Coach Lonnie Robinson earns his 2nd Coach of the Year Award !

Lonnie Robinson with his wife Rebecca and daughter Kyla


Steve "Montana" Daugherty

"Montana" Coach of the Year Award

Steve Daugherty is regarded as one of the top coaches of the program and a player favorite.  As one of the first coaches in the Blizzard program, "Montana" has gone over the top in his efforts in making the Blizzard program one of the best in the country.  In 2009, the first Manager of the Year Award went to Steve and was named after a program favorite - Steve "Montana" Daugherty.

This year, we have a first time 2-time winner in Lonnie Robinson, who has been with the program since 2009 !

Barta on Robinson

The first time I saw Lonnie was when I was still coaching at St. Scholastica and I went to scout him as a freshman throwing upwards of 94mph in the Metrodome.  Five years later, St. Thomas head coach Chris Olean recommended Lonnie and said he would be a great fit in our program purely based on his personality.  Not only did Lonnie come into our program and make an immediate impact with his personality - he connected with our players, parents and staff.  His ability to put players in a position to succeed have made him a mainstay in our program and I look forward to having him with us for a long time.  He is a great pitching instructor and an evaluator of talent.

Players on Robinson

"Lonnie makes us better players and people.  He is fun, energetic, and experienced. Most importantly he cares about us. Lonnie takes time in each practice to discuss individually how we can improve in all areas of the game." - Joe Longo

“Coach Lonnie is a great coach.  In practice we are always learning something new, but he also makes practices a lot of fun, especially when he gets the “dinger” bat out!  Coach Lonnie takes the time to talk to each player and give us feedback so we can become smarter players. Coach Lonnie and the entire Blizzard Club remind us to work hard in baseball and work hard in school. I am very proud to be a Blizzard player." -Bennett McCollow

"Lonnie makes you work hard and uses his own in-game experiences to teach you.  He wants you to succeed and always says that there is no one better than you if you put in the work." - Willem Aldrich

Parents on Robinson

"Lonnie has a deep understanding of the game.  He is passionate and wants to see his players succeed.  Lonnie is approachable and patient yet holds his players to high expectations.  He is an excellent motivator who challenges his players to strive for the next level.  Lonnie is an asset to the program." - Gregg Johnson

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