Which begs the question why did it take so long?
Jefferson City, Mo. – University of Missouri men’s basketball coaching legend Norm Stewart took his place among the most notable residents of Missouri on Wednesday, becoming the 50th person inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians.
Serving as head coach of Mizzou from 1967 to 1999, Stewart led the Tigers to new heights on the basketball court. He guided MU to 634 wins, eight Big Eight regular-season titles (1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990 and 1994), six Big Eight Tournament crowns (1978, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993) and 16 NCAA Tournament bids.
Stewart joins other famous Missourians in the state’s Hall of Fame, including Mark Twain (1982), Harry Truman (1991), Walt Disney (1993), Laura Ingalls Wilder (1993), Sacajawea (1993), Walter Cronkite (1999), Stan Musial (2000) and Bob Barker (2007), among others.
A native of Shelbyville, Missouri, Stewart played for the Tigers basketball program from 1953 to 1956, while also helping the baseball team win the 1954 NCAA Championship. A two-time All-Big Seven selection and a 1956 All-American, Stewart was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks and helped the team advance to the 1956 NBA Finals.
Stewart returned to Mizzou, first as an assistant coach before being named the team’s head coach in 1967 after a six-year stint leading Northern Iowa. He then spent the next 32 seasons leading the Tigers, establishing the program among the nation’s best and winning 14 conference titles. Stewart was recognized as National Coach of the Year twice during his career (1982 and 1994) and was a six-time Big Eight Coach of the Year.
Perhaps Stewart’s biggest accomplishment during his coaching career came off the court. Diagnosed with colon cancer in 1989, Stewart started the Coaches vs. Cancer program with the NABC, an initiative that remains prominent more than 30 years later and has raised more than $150 million to fight cancer.
Stewart was joined at Wednesday’s induction ceremony by his wife, Virginia, and family, former players Kim Anderson, John Brown, Derrick Chievous, Al Eberhardt, Greg Flaker, Bill Flamank and Gary Leonard, former assistant coach Bob Sundvold, University of Missouri President Mun Choi, University of Missouri Board of Curators Chair Robin Wenneker and former Mizzou football head coach Gary Pinkel.
Jefferson City, Mo. – University of Missouri men’s basketball coaching legend Norm Stewart took his place among the most notable residents of Missouri on Wednesday, becoming the 50th person inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians.
Serving as head coach of Mizzou from 1967 to 1999, Stewart led the Tigers to new heights on the basketball court. He guided MU to 634 wins, eight Big Eight regular-season titles (1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990 and 1994), six Big Eight Tournament crowns (1978, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993) and 16 NCAA Tournament bids.
Stewart joins other famous Missourians in the state’s Hall of Fame, including Mark Twain (1982), Harry Truman (1991), Walt Disney (1993), Laura Ingalls Wilder (1993), Sacajawea (1993), Walter Cronkite (1999), Stan Musial (2000) and Bob Barker (2007), among others.
A native of Shelbyville, Missouri, Stewart played for the Tigers basketball program from 1953 to 1956, while also helping the baseball team win the 1954 NCAA Championship. A two-time All-Big Seven selection and a 1956 All-American, Stewart was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks and helped the team advance to the 1956 NBA Finals.
Stewart returned to Mizzou, first as an assistant coach before being named the team’s head coach in 1967 after a six-year stint leading Northern Iowa. He then spent the next 32 seasons leading the Tigers, establishing the program among the nation’s best and winning 14 conference titles. Stewart was recognized as National Coach of the Year twice during his career (1982 and 1994) and was a six-time Big Eight Coach of the Year.
Perhaps Stewart’s biggest accomplishment during his coaching career came off the court. Diagnosed with colon cancer in 1989, Stewart started the Coaches vs. Cancer program with the NABC, an initiative that remains prominent more than 30 years later and has raised more than $150 million to fight cancer.
Stewart was joined at Wednesday’s induction ceremony by his wife, Virginia, and family, former players Kim Anderson, John Brown, Derrick Chievous, Al Eberhardt, Greg Flaker, Bill Flamank and Gary Leonard, former assistant coach Bob Sundvold, University of Missouri President Mun Choi, University of Missouri Board of Curators Chair Robin Wenneker and former Mizzou football head coach Gary Pinkel.
