He was a lifelong mentor to Demons coach Mike McConathy. Robertson worked with the 2002-03 NSU Demon basketball team as a volunteer coach, drilling them on fundamentals. That team included 12 freshmen, nearly all who remained in the program and evolved into the fabled "Demons of Destiny" who won back-to-back Southland Conference championships as juniors and seniors, and captured what President Dr. Randy Webb called "the greatest single event in the history of the university," the 2006 NCAA Tournament upset of No. 15-ranked Iowa.

"Scotty was so important to our success, and the players on that team loved him," said McConathy. "He loved them, too."

Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston is handling the arrangements. The funeral service will be at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1000 W. Woodward Avenue.

Robertson, who passed Thursday morning at 81 after a short battle with lung cancer, is survived by his wife of 61 years, Betty Lou Lancaster Robertson, daughters Libby Robertson Power, Claudia Robertson Fowler, Vicki Robertson Page and 10 grandchildren.

During his time spent on the NSU basketball staff, Robertson became close with many NSU coaches, staff members and supporters, particularly Lady Demon soccer coach Jimmy Mitchell. "Coach Scotty" returned to Natchitoches many times to cheer on NSU basketball teams and the soccer team, and for hunting trips with Mitchell and friends. He stayed in constant, close touch with McConathy, often faxing notes to his protege after listening to games on the nsudemons.com website.

He first came to prominence building a powerhouse college division program from 1964-74 at Louisiana Tech, his alma mater. He was the college coach of Basketball Hall of Fame coach and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee Leon Barmore, and also coached highly successful current college coaches Tim Floyd, Mike McConathy and Jim Woolridge.

He considered NBA great Charles Barkley as his favorite all-time player, and person, he encountered in the game.

In 1974, Robertson became the first coach of the Jazz, who featured another Hall of Fame basketball great, Pete Maravich. The expansion team opened 1-14 and ownership made a coaching change.

Robertson coached the Chicago Bulls as an interim head coach in the 1978-79 season and became head coach of the Detroit Pistons from 1980-83, posting a 97-149 record. In his last season, Robertson finished 37-45 having drafted players who were keys in the Pistons' championship teams in the late 1980s: Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Kelly Tripucka.

Robertson also was an assistant for the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns, which in 1992-93 Robertson helped Cotton Fitzsimmons guide to the NBA Finals. He also coached in two NBA All-Star Games and ended his 24-year NBA career with three years as the bench coach for Pat Riley's Miami Heat.

At Louisiana Tech from 1964-74, Robertson recorded a 161-86 record, winning three Gulf States Conference titles and making two NCAA Tournament (college division) appearances. He was voted the conference coach of the year in 1967 and 1971, when the Bulldogs made the NCAA Tournament.

"He had a special belief that he could go up against anyone in his life whether it was coaching, duck hunting, fixing up Mustangs or Cadillacs or any of his other passions, and he would be successful," said McConathy, who was in Robertson's last recruiting class at Louisiana Tech. "Having been fortunate to be one of his players I learned that if you did not believe in yourself you would not be very good. He was extremely confident, but he was also humble. It was a great example for young, impressionable players."

Robertson was born in Fort Smith, Ark., in 1930 and moved to Shreveport in sixth grade. He played basketball and baseball for Byrd High School, where he graduated in 1947. After graduating from Louisiana Tech in 1951, he played baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization before returning to basketball as a coach. He also served as a scout for the Atlanta Braves.

He coached high school basketball for 12 years, including eight at Byrd, compiling a 163-91 record before moving to Louisiana Tech.

With reporting from the New Orleans Times-Picayune