'Coach D-Rob' returns to restore the glory of Hayti Football

Hayti High School football coach Dominique Robinson watches his team run to a drill during a recent practice at the school.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

HAYTI – After compiling a staggering amount of success as the leader of the Hayti High School football program for five seasons through the fall of 2021, Dominique Robinson stepped away from the position to focus on his family and evolving administrative career at the school. However, watching the Indians struggle over the past two seasons became too much for him to sit back and endure, so the former Indian player, himself, is back on the sidelines guiding what hopes to be a rebirth of the program in some ways.

“I love Hayti football,” Robinson said. “We’ve been in the dark ages for the last two years. It was definitely painful (to watch).”

After leading the Indians to 56 victories through five seasons, including the 2018 MSHSAA Class 1 state championship, Robinson, who serves as the Principal at Hayti High School, watched from the stands as Hayti labored to just a combined three wins in two seasons.

“Being an administrator,” Robinson said, “I could see the school morale was down because football was down.”

The 2005 Hayti High School graduate returned to the top position to lead a program that his father and uncle both coached in “for 40 years,” according to Robinson, and he first entered in 2001 as a freshman.

“I still had a love for the game,” Robinson said. “I still have something left to give.”

And he wants to “give” what he has to his hometown.

Study Robinson’s resume, and it would be easy to deduce that he could be coaching, in a lot of places.

In five seasons, he amassed a 56-7 record, two MSHSAA Class 1 District championships, and the state title, which capped a perfect 15-0 season.

He has had career options.

“I had a couple of job offers after we won state,” Robinson said, “but I want to do it here. It is special when you do it at home.”

And it is “special” when you can impact the young people in your hometown.

No one understands the travails and journeys that the Hayti students traverse more so than Robinson, who walked those same steps in his younger years.

“I love Hayti because of the kids here,” Robinson said. “It’s my community and I love being able to change kids’ lives as far as outside of football. I’m able to direct them in the direction they need to so they can start a family and be successful in life.”

Indian senior Tim Hamilton can attest to that guidance – on and off the field.

The Hayti senior plays both wide receiver and cornerback and is also a cousin to Robinson.

“(Coach Robinson) means everything to me,” Hamilton said. “Outside of football, he is always making sure that I am good. He makes sure that all of us are good off the field. But on the field, he’s more than a coach. He is our leader. He is trying to turn us into men after high school.”

The Indians’ regular-season opener remains two weeks away, as Robinson’s team will host Thayer on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. However, despite that time gap, his presence was felt at the end of a recent practice, as he quizzed his players on various Thayer formations, how they should react to those situations, and different play calls that the Indian coaches may make.

No player was let off easy if they hesitated with their responses.

“It ain’t hard,” Indian junior Isaiah Love explained of handling Robinson’s discipline. “But you have to take coaching. He coaches you hard, but that is part of the game.”