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Norfolk State head coach Robert Jones is known in the HBCU community for building perennially successful HBCU basketball teams that routinely compete for conference championships and March Madness bids every season. But, he's also well known for his honesty and candor, which was on display in his to-the-point take about leading a mid-major program in the transfer portal era.
Jones launched on the transfer portal era in an interview with WAVY's Jaems Kattato following the departure of Spartan guard Brian Moore Jr. via the transfer portal. Last season, star Norfolk State guard Jamarii Thomas departed the program via the transfer portal.
“This is now a glorified JUCO. This is like Norfolk State Community College,” Jones said in the interview. “And when I say that, not because of the people or anything like that — but it’s just the way it is. JUCO coaches, I have so much more respect for them these days, because they have to get a new team every year/every two years. Now we gotta get a new team every year/every too so we’re basically a glorifed JUCO.”
He continued, “Until mid-majors — and not just Norfolk State — get the money that high majors have, we’re never going to be able to keep kids for a long time. It’s easy to get ‘em but it’s hard to retain ‘em. You can get them because there’s a lot of kids that want the opportunities. But once they get the opportunity and they blow up, it’s hard to retain ‘em. Because now the big boys are going to come.”
HBCU coaches, particularly in football and basketball, have to deal with a harsh reality when it comes to NIL and the transfer portal. Even new Norfolk State head football coach Michael Vick, who is entering his first season with the Spartans at the helm of the football program, has confronted the reality of the new landscape of college football.
“I’m taking the embrace it approach. I know you’re going to have options if you do what you got to do. You go win the MEAC and you make First Team and Clemson comes calling and they offering you some money. I can’t tell you no. They’re offering you some bread. I can't do that. The only thing I can do is match. The only thing we can do is get in the game,” Vick said to Marshawn Lynch on his Get Got Podcast.
Vick continued, emphasizing that he doesn't want to be selfish in his approach to these matters.
“I would be like selfish man, that’s selfish. I've told a couple of them that, and they’ll be like, ‘Nah coach I want to be with you the whole time,' and I’m like, ‘Alright. Well, when somebody comes and calls you, they get $700,000. Let me see if you want that.'”
