Norm Roberts retiring
- Thread starter dalydoseofhoops
- Start date
While at St. John's Norm's teams did not really excel on the court, but they were typically kids that you could be proud of. He did not create a winning on the court culture, but restored the integrity of the Program that got lost during the previous regime's tenure.
I believe that he was fundamentally a really good man, and although his time at St. John's did not produce the on court results desired I strongly believe he served the Program with honor.
His return to Kansas as an assistant to Bill Self produced many years of success, including a national championship in 2022.
As he moves into retirment, I wish him great health and much happiness going forward!
I believe that he was fundamentally a really good man, and although his time at St. John's did not produce the on court results desired I strongly believe he served the Program with honor.
His return to Kansas as an assistant to Bill Self produced many years of success, including a national championship in 2022.
As he moves into retirment, I wish him great health and much happiness going forward!
Best of luck to Norm and hope he enjoys his golden years with family & friends. As JF said, that group of his recruits who played as seniors for Lav gave me as much enjoyment as any team since the Elite Eight until this year. Clearly a humble, first class human being which is all that counts with the man upstairs.
Agree that talent wins, but I think the coaching and development is more than 5%, especially back then. As I recall, one of the first things Lavin/Dunlap did was realize Brownlee and Hardy should be the focal points in an offense with that same group of players. Something it didn't seem Norm & Co. grasped. That was a major turning point in Lavin's first season.
Did you announce you were Marillac or stay quiet? I assume the latter, but am envisioning a scenario where you announce it and then telling them "and now yous cant leave" before cracking up and back slapping, etc.I'll reshare this funny story too. There was an event at the New York Athletic Club when were deep in the middle of his struggles. I lived extremely close at the time -- like I could hit the building with a baseball from where I lived close. I finished reading this site and walked over to the event.
It look like 2 minutes. I get in the elevator at the NYAC alone. The doors closed 95% of the way and then a hand reaches in and the doors open. It was Norm Roberts. The ENTIRE staff gets on the elevator with me. This is literally 180 seconds after I probably just posted about him.
They start joking around about who would be attending. They starting rattling off names of posters and Marillac is like in the first 5 of who they say. They knew like 15-20 posters in detail. They were joking "hope ____ doesn't attack me" and "we need to find _____ because they love us" etc.
Norm was great all night. Spoke with everyone at length...never felt rushed. Very good assistant and even better guy, but He just couldn't make it work as a head coach.
I interviewed Norm when he took over the program. As noted from others, he was a genuinely nice gentleman who gave me considererably more time than I had hoped to get. Norm came here with a reputation as a great recruiter; unfortunately, it was easier to recruit for Self & Kansas than for the mess Jarvis left behind.
Not sure why some feel the need to still say negative stuff about Norm at this point, especially now as he announces his retirement.
Thanks for yours efforts here coach, you were/are always a class act. Best wishes for a long and healthy retirement.
Thanks for yours efforts here coach, you were/are always a class act. Best wishes for a long and healthy retirement.
My impressions are Norm.was built for recruiting at a Kansas. You don't have to sell the program's success and visibility, it's mega elite. What you need to do is convince a kid and parents that the program cares about the kid and the staff are high caliber people. Essentially, Norm's success has always been outside the lines as a good and decent guy which he projects well. Without that he'd never have been hired here, and as an assistant to Self represented their program well.
Built for recruiting at Kansas? lol Some of the shit you guys come up with here, hilarious. Going to a blue blood like Kansas as an Asst coach is like being the backup QB to Brady during his 20+ year run in New England. You basically hit the lottery. Just shut your mouth and smile and you'll be part of an all-time great legacy. The end.
All of the other stuff is just fluff and hot air.
Never understood the compulsion multiple posters had to belittle Roberts even years after he left.
I echo your thanks to Roberts and frankly, if there was no Norm Roberts, there possibly would have never been Rick Pitino, because SJU may not have remained even a sleeping giant.
Never met Norm but did have the privilege of hanging with Anthony Mason one night. Naturally we start talking about SJU history and Mase told me that Norm was his HS point guard and that Norm was one of the coolest and nicest dudes a guy could ever meet.
Norm will do just fine in retirement he had a good career/run at work just not with us.
Norm will do just fine in retirement he had a good career/run at work just not with us.
Norm liked to tell people that he was a better basketball player at Springfield Gardens HS than Mason.
Norm was very good at Queens College as a player. He was their Chris Mullin type of hire as HC. Prior to Queens he coached the freshman and maybe jv team at Molloy HS.
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I'll tip my cap to Norm. From all appearances and accounts, he's a gentleman who represented many of the best qualities of sport and college hoops. I hope he has a happy retirement...and maybe even a soft spot to enjoy the success of St. John's in the years ahead.