Robert Allen Jr. is in his first season as a graduate assistant with the Auburn men's basketball program.

Renowned as one of the best player development skill coaches in America, he has strong ties to the Southeast where he spent two years coaching young and up-and-coming talent with AAU Clubs Southern Stampede, Georgia Stars and Atlanta Xpress from 2013-15, while also training NBA players during the offseason.

“Over the years, hiring great graduate assistant coaches has been a real key to our success,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “They are great teachers of the game, role models and coaches who can help our guys get better individually, both on and off the court. Robert has been training athletes in Atlanta for years and I’ve been a huge fan of his work. We feel blessed that he chose us and Auburn University to enter into the world of coaching college basketball.”

For more than 13 years, Allen Jr. has run a transformative basketball training business focused on skill development for top talent from the NBA, FIBA, college and youth levels.

He began his college basketball journey at Temple University playing for legendary head coach John Chaney during the 2003-04 season. He and his teammates helped Chaney to his 700th win solidifying him as one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history.

A native of Selma, Alabama, Allen Jr. graduated from Selma High School and led his team to several prestigious high school tournaments. He was one of the top-ranked guards in the state of Alabama at the end of his senior year and a McDonald’s All-American Game nominee.

A 2007 graduate of Carson-Newman University earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Allen Jr. is the proud father of two daughters, Hannah and Jordan.