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Norm Roberts leaves Florida, hired as assistant to Bill Self at Kansas

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February 05, 2009: St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts during the first half of the Pirates 91-81 win over the Redman at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

RICH KANE

Norm Roberts was part of a Billy Donovan staff at Florida that brought the Gators to the Elite Eight in 2011-12, but after one season, Roberts is leaving Gainesville to rejoin old friend Bill Self at Kansas, reports the Journal-World.

Roberts and Self have a history together, having coached alongside one another at Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Illinois, and Kansas, dating all the way back to 1995.

“I’m thrilled,” Self told the Journal-World. “We were together for nine years. My family helped raise his kids. His family has helped raise mine. We’re close.”

As Kansas assistant Danny Manning leaves to become the head coach at Tulsa, Roberts fills in, working in the same capacity as he did from 2003-2004 in Lawrence.

Roberts had a six-year stint as the head coach at St. John’s from 2004-2010, compiling an overall 81-101 and making one NIT appearance. The next year, under head coach Steve Lavin, the Red Storm reached the NCAA tournament with players who were almost all recruited by Roberts.

He is a graduate of Queens College (NY), having also played there for four seasons and coaching there for four more.

Roberts is known predominantly as a recruiter, having had a hand in bringing in strong high-major talent at Kansas and Illinois, and will be given the same duties at Kansas.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_