Illinois Basketball: Five Illini Head Coach Options for 2017
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Norm Roberts
Norm Roberts is the current Kansas Jayhawks assistant coach under former Illinois head coach Bill Self. He is one of my top candidates who I want to fill the Illini head coaching position.
Roberts is a seasoned veteran in the college coaching game. Since 1995 he has been in some type of coaching capacity at a big-time level.
As far as head coach experience goes, Roberts has only had a job with St. Johns from 2004 through 2010.
Roberts took over a Red Storm program that the year before went 6-21. He helped build St. John’s into a team who could compete again until being let go for Steve Lavin. The following season the team went to the NCAA Tournament.
I like Roberts’s pedigree because he has been in the coaching game for quite some time. He even spent time as an Illinois assistant as well.
From 2000-03 Roberts was an assistant under Bill Self. These years were some of the best in Illinois history. The team went to the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 in two of the three seasons.
Getting a candidate like Roberts who has the pedigree, who can recruit well, and who has once coached the Illini would be huge for this program. I would love for him to be the future head coach.