Norm Roberts facts for kids
Roberts coaching St. John's in 2009
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Assistant coach |
| Team | Kansas |
| Conference | Big 12 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | July 21, 1965 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1983–1987 | Queens |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1991–1995 | Queens |
| 1995–1997 | Oral Roberts (assistant) |
| 1997–2000 | Tulsa (assistant) |
| 2000–2003 | Illinois (assistant) |
| 2003–2004 | Kansas (assistant) |
| 2004–2010 | St. John's |
| 2011–2012 | Florida (assistant) |
| 2012–2025 | Kansas (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 109–185 |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (NIT) 0–1 (CBI) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
|
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Norman Roberts (born July 21, 1965) is a well-known former college basketball coach. He recently retired after a long career. He was an assistant coach for the University of Kansas basketball team. Before that, he was the head coach at St. John's University.
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Early Life and School Days
Norm Roberts grew up in Queens, New York. He went to Springfield Gardens High School. While there, he played basketball with Anthony Mason, who later became a famous NBA player.
Coaching Journey
Roberts started his coaching career at Archbishop Molloy High School. He coached the freshman team there. In 1991, he became the head coach at Queens College. He stayed in that role until 1995.
Working with Coach Bill Self
In 1996, Roberts joined Oral Roberts as an assistant coach. He worked for head coach Bill Self. Roberts followed Coach Self to several other universities. They worked together at the University of Tulsa (starting in 1998). Then they moved to the University of Illinois (in 2000). Finally, they went to the University of Kansas (in 2003).
Leading the St. John's Red Storm
On April 13, 2004, Norm Roberts took on a big new role. He signed a five-year contract to be the head coach for the men's basketball team at St. John's University. Even though some people thought he was a longshot for the job, school leaders were very impressed. They liked his skills in finding and recruiting new players. He was known for being Coach Self's top recruiter.
Roberts was also from New York City. St. John's hoped he could help bring talented high school players from the area to their team. St. John's had a history of having strong teams. These teams were often built with players from New York City. Roberts took over after Mike Jarvis was fired during the 2003–04 season.
Roberts coached St. John's until March 19, 2010. He was fired after the team lost in the first round of the 2010 NIT tournament.
Assistant Coach at Florida
After leaving St. John's, Roberts became an assistant coach. In 2011, Coach Billy Donovan hired him to work for the Florida Gators. He coached there for one season.
Returning to Kansas
In April 2012, Roberts went back to the University of Kansas. He became an assistant coach for the Kansas Jayhawks. He filled the spot left by Danny Manning.
Roberts achieved a major success with Kansas in the 2021–22 season. The team won the NCAA Division I National Championship. This was his first national championship win.
During the next season, in 2022–23, Roberts stepped up as acting head coach for four games. This happened while head coach Bill Self was suspended. Roberts led the team to a perfect 4–0 record in those games. Later that season, Coach Self had health issues. Roberts also coached the Jayhawks in the 2023 Big 12 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
On May 5, 2025, Norm Roberts announced his retirement. He ended his coaching career after 37 years. This included 14 years with the Kansas Jayhawks.
Family Life
Norm Roberts is married and has two sons. Both of his sons played Division I college basketball. His son Niko played at Kansas as a walk-on player. His son Justin played at Niagara University.
