http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/24/no-easy-button-for-roberts/There’s an Easy Button on the desk of St. John’s Coach Norm Roberts. It’s a gag playing off those Staples commercials, where the Easy Button is pressed and office supplies –- or whatever one needs –- magically appear.
Now in his fourth year at St. John’s, Roberts has learned that there’s no Easy Button in Queens. He’s yet to reach the postseason (other than the Big East Tournament). But the way he handled Rob Thomas’ academic case showed that Roberts was not interested in an easy way out, even if it meant winning more basketball games.
The N.C.A.A. deemed Rob Thomas, an elite recruit, eligible to take classes at St. John’s in the middle of September 2006. Since Thomas has severe learning disabilities, Roberts knew that putting him in classes two weeks behind would be setting him up for failure. So he instead had Thomas sit out of school for a semester and bide his time in order to start on an even playing field. That meant that Thomas wouldn’t be eligible until December, as opposed to the start of the season this year. And while Roberts’s decision likely hurt St. John’s on the court, it was clearly the right one for Thomas. He now has a 2.7 grade-point average and is gaining confidence academically.
The decision not to rush Thomas on the court and risk him academically meant a lot to Sean Arnold, one of Thomas’s guardians. Arnold gushed about Roberts when that decision was brought up in a recent interview.
“I respect Norm so much because of that,†Arnold said. “I see with Norm, the game of basketball he loves, but he puts the game of teaching students to do the right thing first. I appreciate the fact that Norm never turned his back on Rob. He was a man of his word. I respect Norm for pushing Rob the right way and having him build that patience. He wasn’t about rushing the job and getting him on the court. He cared about Robbie as a student athlete, not just an athlete. A lot of coaches in that position would have pushed him on court. I think Norm did an excellent job to downplay the athlete and uplift the student.â€
Arnold added this: “Norm is always going to blessed for saving Robbie. You save one, you did a great job. I really appreciate what Norm did. He deserves more credit than he’s getting.â€
When addressing Thomas’s journey to St. John’s, Roberts also accidentally summed up the solid way he has been doing business at St. John’s.
“When you go the hard route, it’s much more rewarding when you get there because you did have to persevere and you did have to go through some hard times,†he said.
With a talented young core of players, Roberts appears to have pieces in place for a run of success at St. John’s. And sometimes waiting a bit and doing things right can pay off more than hitting the Easy Button.