Coach Profiles

Head Coach
Tina Robbins

Tina Robbins is entering her sixth season as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Crowder College. The Lady ‘Riders have shown steady improvement during Robbins’ tenure and finished with a 23-9 record in 2011-2012, in which she was named Region 16 Coach of the Year.  While at Crowder, Robbins has coached multiple All-Region players, three Academic All-Americans, two All-Americans, and her 2011-2012 team was honored as an NJCAA All-Academic team.

As a player, Robbins, a former Kodak Honorable Mention All-American basketball player at Missouri State University, brings in the best possible credentials. She played on four conference championship Lady Bear teams from 1991-94 and went 104-23 as a player. She led her team to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1993 and a Final Four appearance in 1992. During the 1992 Final Four playoff run, she was named the NCAA Midwest Regional MVP. In her senior season, she was named to the Kodak All-American team, Missouri Valley Conference Tournament MVP, and Academic All-District VII.

Robbins graduated from MSU in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. Robbins received her Masters of Science degree in Physical Education from Emporia State University in 2005.

Beginning in the fall of 1995, Robbins taught and coached at Joplin High School in Joplin, MO. She compiled a record of 52-50 and claimed one conference tri-championship. In 1999, she moved on to Glendale High School in Springfield, MO and served as the varsity girl’s head coach and the department head for Physical Education and Health. She led her teams to a 91-69 record, two undefeated conference championships and three second place district finishes while at Glendale. Robbins spent two years as the Head Women’s Basketball coach at LeTourneau University in Longview, TX. While at LeTourneau, she doubled the programs win total from the previous two years. Robbins coached 1 ASC East 2nd team member, 5 ASC East Honorable Mention members, 2 ASC East Freshman team members, and 7 ASC Academic All-Conference members in her two years at LeTourneau.

Robbins has been inducted into the Joplin Area Sports Hall of Fame (2001) and the MSU Athletic Hall of Fame (2002). In 2007, Robbins was also voted on to the All-MVC Centennial Team.

For more information contact: Tina Robbins
phone 417-455-5658
fax 417-455-5513

Assistant Coach
Melanie Bowers

Melanie Bowers is entering her second year as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Crowder College. She was a three-sport letter winner at McDonald County High School (volleyball, basketball, track). An outstanding athlete, Melanie was two-time MVP of her Lady Mustang basketball team, a three-time State Qualifier in the Pole Vault and a State Medalist her senior year.

Melanie is no stranger to the program as she was a two-year starter and captain for the Lady ‘Rider Basketball team in 2007-2009.  After her playing career at Crowder she was a student assistant for the program in 2009-2010.  In 2010-2011, Melanie was the 8th grade girls basketball coach at Neosho Jr. High.  Melanie will be completing her student teaching this fall and will graduate in December with her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from MSSU.