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Norm Roberts
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Norman Roberts (born July 21, 1965) is a former men's college basketball coach who was most recently an assistant coach at the University of Kansas. He also is the former head coach at St. John's University.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Roberts attended Springfield Gardens High School, where he was a teammate of Anthony Mason.
Coaching career
[edit]Roberts's first coaching opportunity came when Jack Curran hired him as coach of the freshman team at Archbishop Molloy High School. In 1991 Roberts became head coach at Queens College, a position he held until 1995. Prior to the 1996–97 season, Roberts was hired by then-Oral Roberts head coach Bill Self. Roberts followed Self to the University of Tulsa (in 1998), University of Illinois (in 2000) and University of Kansas (in 2003). On April 13, 2004, he signed a five-year contract to coach the men's basketball team at St. John's University. His assistants included Glenn Braica, Chris Casey, and Fred Quartlebaum.[1] In April 2012 Roberts returned to the University of Kansas as an assistant coach, filling the position left by Danny Manning.
St. John's
[edit]On April 13, 2004, Roberts signed a five-year contract to coach the men's basketball team at St. John's University. Although Roberts was thought of as a longshot, school officials were impressed by his work as Self's top recruiter over the past four years. Additionally, he was a New York City native, and it was hoped he would rebuild the Red Storm's traditional pipeline to the area's rich pool of high school basketball players. Historically, St. John's has been known for fielding powerhouse teams built mainly on New York City talent.[2] He succeeded Kevin Clark, who served as the interim coach after Mike Jarvis, who was fired midway through the 2003–04 season.
Roberts was fired by St. John's on March 19, 2010, after the Red Storm lost in the first round of the 2010 NIT.[3] In 2011, Florida coach Billy Donovan hired Roberts as an assistant coach.[4]
Florida
[edit]Roberts served as an assistant coach for Florida for one season.
Kansas
[edit]Roberts was hired by Kansas in 2012 as an assistant. He won his first national championship in the 2021–22 season. The following season, while head coach Bill Self served a 4-game suspension for recruiting violations, he served as acting head coach.[5] He went 4–0 in the games he was acting head coach. Later that season, after Self was hospitalized, Roberts also coached the Jayhawks in the 2023 Big 12 Tournament[6] and the NCAA Tournament due to Self's health issues.[7]
On May 5 2025, Roberts announced his retirement after 37 years of coaching, including 14 with Kansas.[8]
Family
[edit]Roberts and his wife have two sons. Both of his sons played Division I basketball; Niko played at Kansas as an invited walk-on and Justin played at Niagara.
Head coaching record
[edit]| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens Knights (East Coast Conference) (1991–1995) | |||||||||
| 1991–92 | Queens | 6–21 | 2–16 | ||||||
| 1992–93 | Queens | 8–19 | 7–11 | ||||||
| 1993–94 | Queens | 4–23 | 2–20 | ||||||
| 1994–95 | Queens | 6–21 | 4–18 | ||||||
| Queens: | 24–84 | 15–65 | |||||||
| St. John's Red Storm (Big East Conference) (2004–2010) | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | St. John's | 9–18 | 3–13 | 13th | |||||
| 2005–06 | St. John's | 12–15 | 5–11 | T–13th | |||||
| 2006–07 | St. John's | 16–15 | 7–9 | 11th | |||||
| 2007–08 | St. John's | 11–19 | 5–13 | 14th | |||||
| 2008–09 | St. John's | 16–18 | 6–12 | 13th | CBI First Round | ||||
| 2009–10 | St. John's | 17–16 | 6–12 | 13th | NIT First Round | ||||
| St. John's: | 81–101 | 32–70 | |||||||
| Kansas Jayhawks (Big 12 Conference) (2022–2023) | |||||||||
| 2022–23 | Kansas* | 4–0 | 0–0 | N/A | |||||
| Kansas: | 4–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| Total: | 109–185 | ||||||||
*Served as acting head coach for 4 games while head Bill Self served a suspension.
References
[edit]- ^ "Player Bio: Norm Roberts – St. John'S University Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
- ^ Jacobson, Mark (February 11, 2005). "How St. John's University Basketball Lost its Way - Nymag". New York Magazine.
- ^ "St. John's fires head coach Norm Roberts, Billy Donovan and Rick Pitino top potential candidate list – NY Daily News". Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
- ^ "New Florida assistant Norm Roberts, Billy Donovan share New York roots". Archived from the original on April 16, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
- ^ "Kansas suspends Bill Self for 4 games in infractions case". ESPN.com. November 2, 2022.
- ^ "KU's Self misses loss to Arkansas amid recovery". ESPN.com. March 18, 2023.
- ^ Tait, Matt (March 18, 2023). "Kansas basketball coach Bill Self ruled out for Saturday's 2nd-round clash with Arkansas". KU Sports.
- ^ "Kansas basketball assistant Norm Roberts is retiring". 247Sports. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
External links
[edit]Norm Roberts
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and playing career
Youth and high school
Norm Roberts was born on July 21, 1965, in Queens, New York.[8] Growing up in the diverse and competitive borough, Roberts was immersed in New York's vibrant street basketball culture, where pickup games and local tournaments fostered his early passion for the sport.[9] This environment, known for producing top talent through relentless play on outdoor courts and community leagues, shaped his development as a player from a young age.[10] Roberts attended Springfield Gardens High School in Queens, where he excelled as a point guard on the basketball team.[11] During his senior year in 1983, he helped lead the Golden Eagles to a Public Schools Athletic League city championship, showcasing his skills in high-stakes games against the city's best competition.[10] Notably, Roberts was teammates with Anthony Mason, a future NBA All-Star who played power forward for the squad and went on to a professional career with teams including the New York Knicks.[12] The intense New York basketball scene, with its emphasis on toughness and creativity honed in urban playgrounds, profoundly influenced Roberts' playing style and lifelong commitment to the game.[9] After high school, he continued his basketball journey at Queens College.[1]College playing career
Norm Roberts enrolled at Queens College, a Division II institution in the City University of New York Athletic Conference, in 1983, where he played basketball for the Queens Knights from 1983 to 1987.[3][13] As a guard, Roberts was a key contributor to the team over 107 games, showcasing his scoring prowess and defensive skills.[14][13] He finished his career as the second-leading scorer in program history with 1,719 points, while also holding the school record for career free throws made (427), highlighting his impact as a perimeter player in the Knights' lineup.[13] His high school success in New York City's competitive basketball scene paved the way for his recruitment to Queens College, allowing him to remain local while advancing his game at the collegiate level.[9] In 1993, Queens College retired his jersey number 15.[14] Roberts graduated from Queens College in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education, completing his academic requirements alongside his athletic commitments.[15][1]Coaching career
Early coaching positions
Roberts began his coaching career shortly after graduating from Queens College in 1987, taking his first position as the freshman team coach at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, New York, under legendary head coach Jack Curran from 1988 to 1991. In this role, he gained foundational experience in player development and high school basketball operations while staying connected to the New York recruiting landscape.[16] In 1991, Roberts returned to his alma mater as head coach of the Queens College Knights, a NCAA Division II program, where he served for four seasons through 1995.[8] During this time, the team compiled an overall record of 24–84, facing challenges with limited resources but focusing on building competitive habits among student-athletes in a small college setting.[13] His tenure emphasized local recruitment from the New York area, laying groundwork for his future expertise in talent evaluation from urban talent pools.[9] Transitioning to Division I basketball, Roberts joined Oral Roberts University as an assistant coach from 1995 to 1997 under head coach Bill Self, contributing to the Golden Eagles' transition and offensive strategies.[5] He followed Self to the University of Tulsa, serving as an assistant from 1997 to 2000, where the Golden Hurricane achieved notable success, including a WAC tournament championship in 2000 and an NCAA Tournament appearance (reaching the second round with a 32-5 record).[17] These roles honed Roberts' skills in program building and recruiting, particularly strengthening ties to East Coast prospects while adapting to higher-level competition.[3]St. John's head coach
Norm Roberts was appointed as the head coach of the St. John's University men's basketball team on April 13, 2004, succeeding Mike Jarvis following a tumultuous period marked by NCAA sanctions and program instability.[18] As a Queens native and former assistant under Bill Self at Kansas, Roberts inherited a squad depleted by self-imposed scholarship reductions and lingering effects from scandals involving improper benefits to players during the Jarvis era.[11] His initial focus was on restoring integrity and rebuilding local recruiting pipelines in New York City, where high school and AAU coaches had grown wary of the program.[19] Over his six-season tenure from 2004 to 2010, Roberts compiled an overall record of 81–101, including a 32–70 mark in Big East Conference play.[20] The Red Storm faced persistent challenges in recruiting top talent amid the program's recent scandals and limited scholarships, which hampered early progress and contributed to sub-.500 finishes in four of his seasons.[21] Despite these obstacles, Roberts prioritized developing New York-area players, successfully recruiting key talents such as guard D.J. Kennedy in 2007 and forward Justin Burrell, who became a cornerstone as the team's second-leading scorer during his sophomore year.[22][23] Roberts' teams showed incremental improvement in later years, culminating in notable postseason appearances. In the 2008–09 season, St. John's earned a bid to the College Basketball Invitational (CBI), providing valuable experience for a young roster despite a first-round exit.[24] The following year, 2009–10, marked the program's best record under his leadership at 17–16, including an upset victory over UConn in the Big East Tournament and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), where they fell in the first round to Memphis.[20] However, the absence of an NCAA Tournament appearance across all six seasons intensified pressure on Roberts to elevate the program further. Roberts' departure was announced on March 19, 2010, shortly after the NIT loss, as St. John's opted not to retain him amid expectations for deeper postseason success.[19] Athletic director Chris Monasch praised Roberts for advancing the program with class and integrity but emphasized the need for heightened competitiveness in the demanding Big East.[20]Assistant coaching roles
Norm Roberts served as an assistant coach under Bill Self at the University of Illinois from 2000 to 2003, including as associate head coach in 2002–03.[25][6] During this period, Roberts contributed to the team's defensive preparations and recruiting efforts, helping secure key talent from urban areas like New York and Chicago. The 2001–02 Fighting Illini, under Self's leadership with Roberts on staff, advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen after a 23–6 regular-season record and a shared Big Ten title.[26] Following Self's move to the University of Kansas, Roberts joined him there as associate head coach for the 2003–04 season, aiding in the program's transition and early recruiting class development.[27] His expertise in sourcing New York prospects proved valuable, as he helped establish pipelines for high-major talent in that region during Self's initial year at Kansas.[28] Roberts focused on defensive fundamentals, aligning with Self's emphasis on structured half-court schemes to build a competitive foundation for the Jayhawks.[29] After a head coaching tenure at St. John's from 2004 to 2010, Roberts returned to an assistant role at the University of Florida in April 2011 under Billy Donovan.[30] In his one season there (2011–12), he supported Donovan's defensive strategies and recruiting, contributing to a 26–11 overall record and a third-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where the Gators fell to Louisville.[31][32] Roberts' background in New York recruiting enhanced Florida's talent acquisition, particularly for guards and wings from the Northeast.[28]Kansas assistant coach
In June 2012, Norm Roberts rejoined the University of Kansas men's basketball staff as an assistant coach under head coach Bill Self, having previously served in the same role during the 2003–04 season.[33] He remained on the staff for 14 seasons until his departure in 2025, contributing significantly to the program's sustained success.[34] Roberts played a key role in recruiting top talent, particularly from the New York area and the East Coast, leveraging his background in the region to secure prospects such as Quentin Grimes, a five-star guard who enrolled in 2018 before transferring after one season.[35] His recruiting efforts helped assemble multiple elite classes, including NBA lottery picks like Josh Jackson and others during his tenure.[3] Additionally, Roberts focused on defensive coordination and perimeter player development, coaching guards and wings who became standout performers; for instance, Marcus Garrett earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2020 under his guidance.[33] During Roberts' time at Kansas, the Jayhawks achieved remarkable team accomplishments, including seven Big 12 regular-season titles, three Big 12 Tournament championships, four NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances, two Final Four berths, and the 2022 NCAA national championship.[3] In the 2022–23 season, Roberts served as interim head coach for four games while Self was suspended, leading the team to a perfect 4–0 record.[36] His contributions to the program were recognized with induction into the A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame in 2023.[37]Personal life
Family
Norm Roberts has been married to his wife, Pascale, since at least the early 2000s.[2][8] The couple has two sons, Niko and Justin, both of whom pursued basketball careers at the collegiate level.[2][38] Niko Roberts, a guard, played Division I basketball as a walk-on for the University of Kansas Jayhawks from 2010 to 2014, appearing in 40 games during his career, including while his father served as an assistant coach on the staff from 2012 to 2014.[39][40][38] Justin Roberts, also a guard, played two seasons at the University of Toledo (2016–17 and 2017–18) before transferring to Niagara University, where he sat out the 2018–19 season and played from 2019–20 to 2021–22, averaging 6.1 points per game as a senior in 2021–22 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.[41][42][43] The Roberts family's strong connection to basketball is highlighted by the sons' decisions to follow their father's path into the sport, with Niko benefiting directly from coaching under Norm during his time at Kansas.[38] During Norm's tenure as an assistant coach at Kansas from 2012 to 2025, the family resided in Lawrence, Kansas, where Justin attended Lawrence High School before his college career.[41][43][44] Post-college, Niko Roberts joined the Mountain West Conference as Associate Commissioner of Men's Basketball in 2021. Justin Roberts' professional pursuits after Niagara are not publicly detailed as of 2025.[45] In announcing his retirement in May 2025, Roberts expressed a desire to spend more time with Pascale, Niko, and Justin after 37 years in coaching.[2]Retirement
On May 5, 2025, Norm Roberts announced his retirement from coaching after 37 years in the profession, including 14 seasons as an assistant at the University of Kansas, at the age of 59.[34][3] The decision marked the end of a distinguished career that began in 1988 and spanned multiple roles at various institutions.[34] Roberts cited his desire to spend more time with family as the primary reason for stepping away, emphasizing the toll of his long career on personal life. "After 37 years as a coach, it is time for me to move on, enjoy my family, spend more time with my wife and sons," he stated in the announcement.[34][3] Family played a key role in his decision, allowing him to prioritize relationships with his wife, Pascale, and sons, Niko and Justin, after decades dedicated to the demands of college basketball.[34] Kansas head coach Bill Self reflected on Roberts' legacy, praising his loyalty and significant contributions to the program's sustained excellence. Self described the retirement as a "bittersweet moment," noting, "Norm has played a key role to our success... We should all be happy for Norm to go enjoy life with Pascale and his boys."[34][46] No formal post-retirement roles have been announced for Roberts, with his focus shifting to personal pursuits and family life.[34][3]Head coaching record
NCAA Division II
| Season | Team | Overall | Conf. | Standing | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | Queens | 6–21 | ?–? | ? | |
| 1992–93 | Queens | 6–21 | 2–16 | ? | |
| 1993–94 | Queens | 8–19 | 7–? | ? | |
| 1994–95 | Queens | 4–23 | ?–? | ? | |
| Queens: | 24–84 | ?–? | |||
| Total: | 24–84 |
NCAA Division I
| Season | Team | Overall | Conf. | Standing | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | St. John's | 9–18 | 4–12 | T–11th | |
| 2005–06 | St. John's | 12–15 | 5–11 | T–12th | |
| 2006–07 | St. John's | 16–15 | 6–10 | 11th | NIT Second Round |
| 2007–08 | St. John's | 11–19 | 5–13 | 14th | |
| 2008–09 | St. John's | 16–18 | 6–12 | T–12th | College Basketball Invitational First Round |
| 2009–10 | St. John's | 17–16 | 7–11 | T–10th | NIT Second Round |
| St. John's: | 81–101 | 33–69 | |||
| 2022–23 | Kansas (interim) | 4–0 | – | ||
| Kansas: | 4–0 | ||||
| Total: | 85–101 | 33–69 |
Conference regular season champion Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion Roberts served as acting head coach for Kansas during Bill Self's four-game suspension at the start of the 2022–23 season.[1][47]