St. John's renews coach Roberts' contract

BARBARA BARKER

May 10, 2008

Despite his team's disappointing record last season, St. John's basketball coach Norm Roberts is likely to remain coach for at least five more seasons.

Roberts and the university officially agreed to a renewal of his five-year rollover contract Friday, a move school officials had indicated they were going to make toward the end of the 2007-08 season when there had been some conjecture about Roberts' job security.

After posting a winning season and qualifying for the Big East Tournament in 2006-07, the Red Storm slipped to 11-19 overall and 5-13 in the Big East. St. John's finished the season by losing seven of its last eight games and did not play in the Big East Tournament.

However, it appears the school believes the team has made progress since Roberts took over a program that was in disarray in 2004. In the news release announcing the re-signing, athletic director Chris Monasch praised Roberts, noting that the players were performing well in the classroom.

Said Monasch: "Coach Roberts and St. John's are committed to extending that success onto the basketball court. The primary focus of this contract renewal emphasizes the importance of being successful on the court."