COLUMBIA, MO. • Hours before the most anticipated season in years tips off, Missouri basketball’s living legends gathered outside Mizzou Arena to honor the man they called Coach as the school unveiled Norm Stewart’s statue Friday afternoon.
The bronze statue features Stewart pointing with his right hand, index finger extended, probably in the direction of an official, Stewart later joked.
Stewart, who helped uncover the statue with his wife, Virginia, was touched by the moment.
“I’ve been out of (coaching) 18, 19 years and people might not know who that is," he said, "but I hope people bring their children, I hope they bring their grandchildren, I hope they bring their friends and they come by and the players that were there, the student assistants and doctors and trainers all bring their friends and point to that (statue) and say, ‘I helped put that there.