Norm Stewart, the esteemed figure in University of Missouri men’s basketball coaching, was honored on Wednesday as he joined the prestigious ranks of notable Missourians, becoming the 50th inductee into the Hall of Famous Missourians.
During his tenure as head coach from 1967 to 1999, Stewart steered the Tigers to remarkable success on the basketball court. Under his guidance, MU achieved significant milestones, tallying 634 victories, clinching eight Big Eight regular-season championships (in 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, and 1994), securing six Big Eight Tournament titles (in 1978, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993), and earning 16 bids to the NCAA Tournament.
Stewart now joins the esteemed company of other renowned Missourians in the state’s Hall of Fame, a roster that includes luminaries such as Mark Twain (inducted in 1982), Harry Truman (in 1991), Walt Disney (in 1993), Laura Ingalls Wilder (in 1993), Sacajawea (in 1993), Walter Cronkite (in 1999), Stan Musial (in 2000), and Bob Barker (in 2007), among others.
Hailing from Shelbyville, Missouri, Stewart not only played for the Tigers basketball program from 1953 to 1956 but also contributed to the baseball team’s triumph in the 1954 NCAA Championship. Garnering recognition as a two-time All-Big Seven selection and a 1956 All-American, Stewart was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks, aiding the team’s journey to the 1956 NBA Finals.
Returning to Mizzou, Stewart commenced his coaching career as an assistant before assuming the helm as head coach in 1967 following a successful tenure at Northern Iowa. Over the subsequent 32 seasons, he solidified the Tigers’ standing among the nation’s elite programs, securing 14 conference titles. Stewart earned acclaim as National Coach of the Year twice (in 1982 and 1994) and received the Big Eight Coach of the Year honor on six occasions.
At the induction ceremony on Wednesday, Stewart was accompanied by his wife, Virginia, and family, alongside 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.
