‘NEW’ NORM DEAL
St. John’s announced yesterday a “renewed contract” with coach Norm Roberts that isn’t really renewed. Roberts is going into the final year of a five-year rollover deal, and this contract is virtually the same.
What recruits, fans, prep and AAU coaches want to know is this: How committed is St. John’s to Roberts long term?
Truth is, the university is just as committed as before yesterday’s announcement. It dearly wants Roberts, a Queens native who cleaned up a program that was a laughingstock for embarrassing off-court behavior and under an NCAA penalty.
But at some point in every coach’s career, it comes down to winning, and that time has come for Roberts, who is 48-65 (20-46 in Big East play) in four seasons.
According to several sources with knowledge of the original $3 million, five-year deal Roberts signed with St. John’s, the “renewed contract,” contains virtually all the same financial terms. St. John’s isn’t on the hook for much of a buyout if it chooses to terminate Roberts. The incentive clauses in the deal have been adjusted to reflect higher expectations on the court.
