Finally, University of Missouri coaching legend Norm Stewart sat down at Allen Fieldhouse when told to by Kansas University basketball fans.
Stewart, who coached at rival Mizzou for 32 years, was presented with a rocking chair Monday by KU coach Roy Williams in a pregame ceremony.
KU’s fans gave him a loud ovation and even chanted, “Sit Down Norm,” a staple during his many games he worked at KU.
“That’s fun,” Stewart said of the chant.
Walking around the fieldhouse and visiting with fans before the game, Stewart said he had fond memories of KU-MU games in Allen Fieldhouse.
“There’s too many memories to mention,” Stewart said. “It’s a great place to play. I had my butt kicked here and we had some great wins here.”
Stewart, who still lives in Columbia, Mo., played and coached at MU.
“My association with the University of Kansas goes back over 50 years,” Stewart said. “I played in old Hoch Auditorium. I played one of the first games here in Allen Fieldhouse.
“I got to play or coach against Dr. (Phog) Allen, Dick Harp, Ted Owens, Larry Brown and Roy Williams. The association has been long. When the competition is over, other things come into play. I have the greatest respect for Roy Williams and this university.”
Williams admitted it was unique for a school to honor a rival coach.
“This is a unique place,” Williams said. “We don’t just talk sportsmanship, we act it. And we do appreciate great competitors. That’s not to say I liked him during any game that I coached against him, but our fans and myself included did have a great deal of respect for the job that he did.”
KU honored coaching legend Jack Hartman during Hartman’s final year at Kansas State. The Jayhawks didn’t have a chance to honor Stewart in his final year at MU, because he didn’t announce his resignation until after the season.
“When I first came here they told me the story about when Jack Hartman had retired at Kansas State, we honored coach Hartman and had given him golf clubs,” Williams said.
“I think it’s noteworthy for us, Kansas being a neighbor institution and also a bordering state, to recognize what he accomplished,” Williams said of Stewart.
The KU coach noted his old rival’s accomplishments weren’t limited to the basketball arena. With the Coaches Vs. Cancer Three-Point Attack, Stewart has been a leader in raising money for cancer research.
