{"id":234272,"date":"2026-05-14T12:21:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=234272"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:21:17","slug":"mark-robison-lifelong-bow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/14\/mark-robison-lifelong-bow\/","title":{"rendered":"Gridiron ties and family pride: Mark Robison\u2019s legacy as a lifelong \u2018Bow"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Mark
Mark Robison, center, with fellow teammates and fans taken in 1973
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Watching his grandson Marco shag balls at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex football field, Mark Robison looks beyond the game to envision a future. During a recent walk around the M\u0101noa campus he asked Marco where he might want to go to college. The sixth grader quickly replied, “probably UH<\/abbr>.”<\/p>\n

That simple answer reframed something for Robison. Inspired by Marco—and by granddaughter Bianca, a dedicated ʻIolani<\/span> volleyball player—he began supporting UH<\/abbr> women\u2019s volleyball and athletics more broadly.<\/p>\n

“This is my way of showing up for Bianca and acknowledging the sport that she is so dedicated to,” he said.<\/p>\n

Even as he looks toward the future, Robison\u2019s heart remains tethered to a gritty, golden era of UH<\/abbr> football that began with an unexpected phone call decades ago.<\/p>\n

From West Point to Waiʻanae<\/span><\/h2>\n

Growing up in a low-income household in Washington state, Robison had his life mapped out for him by his father: attend West Point, serve four years and land a job on Wall Street.<\/p>\n

UH<\/abbr> defensive coordinator Larry Price had a different plan.<\/p>\n

To this day, Robison has “no idea how he found him,” but Price\u2019s recruitment pitch worked. Robison turned down West Point to play for the then UH<\/abbr> \u2018Bows, a decision that upset his father so much he refused to speak to him for a year.<\/p>\n

“He was one of those working-class guys who always wanted better for his kids,” Robison said. “He was firm and stubborn in what he thought was best for me.”<\/p>\n

Robison arrived in the islands as an outsider in 1973, but he didn’t stay one for long—especially since his mother was born on a plantation in Lahaina. The weekend before classes even began, some local teammates invited him to a three-day wedding party in Waiʻanae<\/span>. Robison recalls the reception vividly, specifically the “aunties” who didn’t hold back.<\/p>\n

“You\u2019re a football player?” Robison recalled. “You must be the punter because you look like one skinny kid.”<\/p>\n

Hard Lessons, Lasting Loyalty<\/h2>\n

Robison credits much of his later success to his time under coaches Larry Price and Rick Blangiardi. Practices were intense, and Blangiardi was known to deliver high-decibel commands on the line of scrimmage. While the practices were grueling, Robison remains grateful for that level of pressure.<\/p>\n

“They taught me about loyalty, commitment, hard work, perseverance and discipline,” he said.<\/p>\n

Today, Robison is a “true believer” that UH<\/abbr> football can compete at the top level. However, he acknowledges the landscape has shifted from the olden days. He points to the challenges of the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL<\/abbr>) era, noting that it takes strategy to keep key players—such as a quarterback or wide receiver—from transferring to schools raising millions in NIL<\/abbr> funds. To support UH<\/abbr>‘s NIL<\/abbr> program, Robison recently contributed $270K.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s an honor to be a \u2018Bow,” Robison said, “and my continued support is give from the heart.”<\/p>\n

Read more at the UH<\/abbr> Foundation website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—By Simplicio Paragas<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The former ‘bow reflects on the coaches and experiences that shaped his life, while supporting the next generation of student-athletes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":234291,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[90,83,319,9,550],"class_list":["post-234272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-alumni","tag-football","tag-uh-foundation","tag-uh-manoa","tag-manoa-athletics","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t