Coach Norm Stewart
On January 20, 1935, Norman Eugene Stewart was born in Leonard, Missouri. Stewart grew up in Shelbyville where he spent his high school years standing out as Shelbyville’s star player and graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1952. Stewart was accepted at the University of Missouri where he excelled on both the basketball court and the baseball diamond. During his time there, he earned all-conference honors in both sports.
Stewart left his mark on the baseball field at Mizzou. He pitched a no-hitter during the 1954 season, which helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series Championship. Stewart also led the team in victories over the next two years, becoming one of only a few athletes to earn letters in both baseball and basketball for three consecutive years.
Stewart was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA in 1956 to play the forward position for one season. He also signed an MLB contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Despite not playing in the majors, he did pitch for the Class C Aberdeen Pheasants in 1957.
Norm Stewart returned to the University of Missouri in 1957 to earn his master’s degree. During his Master’s work, he served as an assistant basketball coach under Sparky Stalcup and an assistant baseball coach under Hi Simmons. The Stewart family moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa as Coach Stewart became the head basketball coach at the State College Of Iowa, which is now University of Northern Iowa, in 1961. With Coach Stewart at the helm, the Panthers racked up a record of 97 wins, 42 losses, and two conference championships in just six years. On March 10, 1967 Stewart began his illustrious career of 32 years as head coach of the Missouri Tigers.
Coaches vs Cancer came from a concept called 3 Point Attack started by cancer survivor Coach Stewart. He founded the program by challenging fans to pledge a dollar amount for every 3-pointer made by his team throughout the season. In 1993, the American Society and the NABC adopted this concept and used it to unite coaches across the country in the form of Coaches vs Cancer. Coach Stewart continues to raise money and awareness for cancer research and other causes through the Norm Stewart Classic.
Coach Norm Stewart has had an illustrious career with many accomplishments. While this list is about his performance in sports, his impact could never be truly listed.
Stewart left his mark on the baseball field at Mizzou. He pitched a no-hitter during the 1954 season, which helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series Championship. Stewart also led the team in victories over the next two years, becoming one of only a few athletes to earn letters in both baseball and basketball for three consecutive years.
Stewart was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA in 1956 to play the forward position for one season. He also signed an MLB contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Despite not playing in the majors, he did pitch for the Class C Aberdeen Pheasants in 1957.
Norm Stewart returned to the University of Missouri in 1957 to earn his master’s degree. During his Master’s work, he served as an assistant basketball coach under Sparky Stalcup and an assistant baseball coach under Hi Simmons. The Stewart family moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa as Coach Stewart became the head basketball coach at the State College Of Iowa, which is now University of Northern Iowa, in 1961. With Coach Stewart at the helm, the Panthers racked up a record of 97 wins, 42 losses, and two conference championships in just six years. On March 10, 1967 Stewart began his illustrious career of 32 years as head coach of the Missouri Tigers.
Coaches vs Cancer came from a concept called 3 Point Attack started by cancer survivor Coach Stewart. He founded the program by challenging fans to pledge a dollar amount for every 3-pointer made by his team throughout the season. In 1993, the American Society and the NABC adopted this concept and used it to unite coaches across the country in the form of Coaches vs Cancer. Coach Stewart continues to raise money and awareness for cancer research and other causes through the Norm Stewart Classic.
Coach Norm Stewart has had an illustrious career with many accomplishments. While this list is about his performance in sports, his impact could never be truly listed.
- Team captain x2
- All-Big 7 selection
- 24.1 scoring average, ranking 4th in Mizzou history
- 1956 Helms Foundation All-American team
- 8 Big Eight Conference regular-season championships.
- 6 Big Eight Conference postseason tournament titles.
- 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including two elite eights.
- 5 NIT postseason tournament appearances.
- 1 CCA post-season tournament appearance.
- 1982 UPI National Coach Of The Year and 1994 Associated Press Coach of the Year
- Won 634 games at Missouri—far and away the most in school history, and more than MU had won in its entire 60-year basketball history prior to Stewart’s arrival.
- Lifetime record of 728-374 (22nd best mark in NCAA history)
- 17 seasons with 20 wins or more.
- Coached 9 All-American players and 21 First-Team All-Conference players