Robinson began his managerial career aged 29, spending six years with Milton Keynes Dons and guiding them to the Championship in 2015.

[8] At 29 years of age, he was the youngest manager at the time in the Football League and former England coach John Gorman was named his number two.

[14] On 20 July 2015, Robinson signed a contract extension alongside the club's Head of Coaching, Richie Barker, though MK Dons did not publicise the length of either deal.

[16] In October 2016, he was relieved of his duties following a 3–0 defeat to Southend United the previous day, which took the club's winless run to four games.

[19] On 22 March 2018, Robinson was appointed as the new head coach of League One club Oxford United, joining on the same day as his departure from Charlton Athletic.

[23] Oxford were adjudged to have finished the COVID-affected 2019–20 season in 4th place in the League on average points per game; they reached the play-off final but lost 2–1 to Wycombe Wanderers.

[26] On 26 February 2023, Robinson was sacked by the club following a run of eight games without a win, his last match in charge being a 3–0 home defeat to Bristol Rovers the previous day.

[30] He oversaw an eight-game unbeaten run at the start of his tenure to haul Salford away from the bottom two, and ensured the club's survival in the Football League by the end of the season.

In September 2019 Robinson became the third youngest person to take charge of 500 professional games when Oxford United player against Tranmere Rovers in League One, placing him in the company of Brian Clough and Gordon Taylor.

In 2010 he married actress AnnMarie Davies, and the pair divorced in 2024 with Robinson having endured personal challenges while managing at Oxford, which contributed to his departure.