Head Coach
Queens College ‘87
Third Season At St. John’s
Like the city he was born in, lives in and coaches in, St.
John’s head coach Norm Roberts is always on the move. A coach that
personifies the qualities of hard work, passion and “doing things
the right way,” Roberts’ determination, knowledge and fervor has
St. John’s poised to take the next steps toward
success.
A local product, Roberts was born in Queens, N.Y., and attended
Springfield Gardens High School before starring on the hardwood for
Queens College. While some college basketball fans grew up
following Duke and North Carolina, Roberts grew up “always dreaming
of St. John’s.”
That dream became a reality as Roberts was named the 18th
men’s basketball coach in St. John’s University history on April
13, 2004. Over the last two seasons, Roberts’ attention to detail
and mind for the game helped the Red Storm regain recognition and
respect on the national scene.
In his first season on the Red Storm sidelines in 2004-05,
Roberts revitalized the basketball program and made St. John’s once
again a formidable competitor in the BIG EAST. First-year
accomplishments for Roberts and his staff included victories over
then No. 17 NC State, then No. 21 Pittsburgh and the championship
of the 2004 Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. The Red
Storm also defeated longtime conference rival Georgetown, as
Roberts and his staff – made up almost exclusively of New Yorkers –
began to return the luster to St. John’s storied men’s basketball
program.
Guiding a team that was lean on experience and limited in
depth, Roberts challenged each player to maximize his potential and
witnessed the squad grow together from practice to practice, day to
day and week to week. Effort was rarely a question for the
often-outmanned group, as three Red Storm regulars averaged more
than 30 minutes per game in Roberts’ first season, and 17 of St.
John’s 27 contests were decided by 10 points or fewer. Even in
losses, Roberts and St. John’s brought a competitive team to the
hardwood, night in and night out.
One year later in 2005-06 it was onward and upward for the Red
Storm, as St. John’s improved its overall and conference record and
captured its second-consecutive Holiday Festival championship. Two
of the Red Storm’s 12 wins came against ranked opponents: a 55-50
win over then-No. 9/9 Pitt (Jan. 21) and a 68-56 victory over No.
17/15 Louisville (Jan. 17).
After the pair of signature wins over ranked opponents during
the week of Jan. 15, the accolades came pouring in for the St.
John’s men’s basketball team. The AP sportswriters gave St. John’s
votes in the Top 25 for the first time since the 2001-02 season on
Jan. 23. ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale named the Red
Storm his “Team of the Week” on his website, and ESPN.com’s Andy
Katz bestowed the same honor. Roberts was named the national coach
of the week on FOXSports.com. Also, the BIG EAST Conference
selected forward Lamont Hamilton to its honor roll and the New York
Metropolitan Sports Writers Association (MBWA) named Hamilton its
PrestoSports/MBWA Player of the Week.
The second year of the Norm Roberts Era saw many team
improvements, particularly on the boards and on the defensive end
of the court. In 2005-06, St. John’s finished eighth among all NCAA
Division I teams, and third in the
BIG EAST, in rebounding margin (+6.9 per game). St. John’s also
ranked second in the BIG EAST in scoring defense (60.4 ppg), field
goal percentage defense (.394) and 3-point field goal percentage
defense (.322) last season. The Red Storm ranked fifth in the
league in steals, averaging 7.04 per game.
In a short amount of time, Roberts has begun to make his mark in
the annals of one of the proudest programs in NCAA history. For
example, by capturing the 2004 and 2005 Holiday Festival
championships, Roberts became the first coach to win back-to-back
titles in that prestigious event since St. John’s Hall of Famer Lou
Carnesecca in 1986 and 1987.
Up Through The Ranks
A longtime assistant under current University of Kansas head
coach Bill Self, Roberts arrived at St. John’s after serving one
year as the Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach for the Jawhawks.
Kansas posted a 24-9 record during the 2003-04 season and advanced
to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Roberts served under Self at three different institutions,
with one year at Illinois as the Associate Head Coach (2002-03) and
two years as an assistant coach (2000-01 to 2001-02), three seasons
on staff at Tulsa (1997-98 to 1999-00) and two years at Oral
Roberts (1995-96 to 1996-97). During his Division I coaching
career, Roberts-assisted teams compiled an overall record of 215-76
for an impressive .739 winning percentage.
At Kansas, Roberts’ primary duties included recruiting and
scouting, as well as perimeter player development. The Jayhawks
signed Rice High School star Russell Robinson the year Roberts was
with KU.
During his time in Champaign, Ill., Roberts and Self led
the Fighting Illini to three NCAA appearances, including the 2001
Elite Eight and a 27-8 record that season. Reputed as one of the
top recruiters in the nation, Roberts was the driving force behind
a Top 10 recruiting class in 2002 that included McDonald’s
All-American Dee Brown, James Augustine, Aaron Spears, Deron
Williams and Kyle Wilson.
At Tulsa, Roberts was part of two NCAA Tournament teams,
including the 1999-2000 squad that posted a 32-5 record and made an
improbable run to the NCAA round of eight. Tulsa posted a combined
record of 74-27 during Roberts’ three seasons on the bench.
His tenure with the Golden Hurricanes followed a two-year stint
with Oral Roberts, during which he helped lead the Golden Eagles to
an appearance in the 1997 Postseason NIT. With Self, Roberts helped
guide Oral Roberts to a combined 39-16 record over two seasons.
Big Apple Roots
A 1987 graduate of Queens College with a bachelor’s degree in
health and physical education, Roberts is the local school’s third
all-time leading scorer with 1,719 points. He also is the career
leader in steals and is second in assists, and had his number (15)
retired by his alma mater in 1993.
His first job out of college was under legendary high school
coach Jack Curran at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, where
he spent three years as the head freshman coach and an assistant on
the varsity squad. While at Archbishop Molloy, he had the
opportunity to coach many noted New York players, including
all-time New Jersey Nets assist leader Kenny Anderson.
Roberts went to Oral Roberts following four years as the
head coach at his alma mater, Queens College. Roberts was the NCAA
Division II Knights’ mentor for four seasons, from 1991-92 to
1994-95.
Roberts was born on July 21, 1965. He and his wife Pascale have
two sons, Nicholas (14) and Justin (9).
The Norm Roberts File
Coaching Affiliations
• National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)
• Black Coaches Association (BCA)
• Coaches vs. Cancer
Playing Experience
• Queens College (1983-87)
• Jersey No. (15) retired in 1993
• 1983-84 Big Apple Rookie of the Year
• Springfield Gardens High School (1978-83)
• Won 1983 PSAL Championship his senior year
• Teammate of former New York Knicks standout Anthony Mason
Sr.
Personal
• Education: Queens College (1987), B.S. in health and
physical education; Springfield Gardens High School (1983)
• Date of Birth: July 21, 1965 in Queens, N.Y.
• Family: Wife – Pascale; Children – Nicholas (14) and Justin
(9)
What They’re Saying About Norm Roberts…
"Norm Roberts has made progress bringing St. John's back into
prominence in the BIG EAST. His recruiting success will pay off
dividends quickly as Madison Square Garden will be rocking and
rolling. I believe St. John's will return to its elite status in
the conference soon."
Dick Vitale
ESPN College Basketball Analyst
“There's a definite buzz returning to St. John's, and Norm
Roberts is the reason. His teams play with toughness, unselfishness
and smarts, and he is quickly becoming a force on the recruiting
circuit. Norm has already shown why he was an excellent choice to
lead this program with a storied past to a bright future.”
Seth Davis
Sports Illustrated/CBS College Basketball Analyst
“No one disputes Norm Roberts’ work ethic or his players’
ability to play with a purpose. He should be on the verge of making
the turn with St. John’s, pushing them upward in the BIG EAST.
Expectations are up but they should be in year three after Roberts
had time to develop his style.’’
Andy Katz
ESPN College Basketball Analyst/ESPN.com Senior Writer
“The best way to rebuild St. John's was not to look for an
immediate transformation. It was to set a solid foundation for a
program that can endure, that can be attractive to recruits locally
and nationally and make its many fans proud. Norm Roberts' first
two seasons advanced ideally along those lines. The BIG EAST has
become a pretty tough neighborhood, but Roberts is too engaging and
too energetic for St. John's not to be competitive in that
environment.”
Mike DeCourcy
The Sporting News Senior College Basketball Writer
“The first time I saw him was at a practice and I said, ‘That’s
Looie.’ He lost his voice, he was energetic and he was all over the
court. Then I found out he was from Queens, worked with Jack
(Curran) and that he had that great background. It’s a natural fit.
He knows everything and has proven it at other places. I think they
got a guy that values what St. John’s has meant all these years. He
knows what they can be and how they were. I think it’s a great
combination.”
Bill Raftery
ESPN College Basketball Analyst