Quin Snyder Takes the Reins
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 7, 1999
COLUMBIA, MO, -- One of the rising stars in the basketball coaching profession, Quin Snyder, an assistant coach at Duke University the last four years, has been hired as the men's head basketball coach at the University of Missouri. Chancellor Richard Wallace and Director of Athletics Michael Alden made the announcement this morning at a news conference held at the University's Reynolds Alumni Center.
Snyder, 32, succeeds Norm Stewart who stepped down from the position last Thursday after 32 years on the job. Like Snyder, Stewart was 32 years old when he took the reins of the Tiger basketball program in 1967. Snyder is the 15th head basketball coach in MU history but just the fifth since 1926.
"This is an exciting time for the University of Missouri," Alden said. "Coach Stewart left us with a legacy of great basketball tradition and success. We want to utilize that and couple it with the special talents of Quin Snyder to give MU a springboard to a bright future.
"Quin Snyder has impressed everyone involved with this search over the last several days. Last Thursday, we began calling athletic directors, conference commissioners, basketball coaches, television analysts and others for coaching recommendations and Quin's name came up on every list. We feel fortunate that we have been able to attract a coach with such impressive credentials."
Snyder has served as Duke's associate head coach the past two seasons, and was entrusted with numerous on-court coaching responsibilities as well as recruiting duties for the Blue Devils by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
"I'm excited to have the opportunity to walk into a program with tremendous tradition and have the opportunity to build on the accomplishments of the program that Coach Stewart achieved," Snyder said. "Also, the opportunity to work with an athletic director in Mike Alden who has a vision for the program and to work for a school that has captured the attention and the imagination of the entire state."
Snyder has been widely credited with recruiting the current crop of student-athletes at Duke who compiled a 37-2 record this season and placed second in the nation. In the decade of the 1990s, Duke has been to five Final Fours, won two national championships and 271 games.
"I am very pleased that Quin Snyder will serve as head coach of our men's basketball program. His coaching and scholarly background at one of the nation's most prestigious universities is sure to enhance the student-athlete experience here at MU," said Chancellor Wallace. "I look forward to working with him and watching his success with our students on and off the court."
Snyder returned to his alma mater after playing at Duke from 1986-89. During Snyder's college career, Duke went to the Final Four three of those years: 1986, 1988, and 1989. Duke also won Atlantic Coast Conference championships in 1986 and 1988. He was named all-ACC Tournament in 1988 and served as a team co-captain his senior year. He still ranks third on Duke's all-time career assists chart with 575.
"In hiring someone to take over a program that has had such a high level of success, you need a person with great passion and intelligence to carry on that great tradition - that is what Missouri has done in hiring Quin Snyder," Krzyzewski said.
"I'm very happy for Missouri and for Quin. When I first recruited Quin as a player I was impressed not only with his talent but with his leadership abilities. I have had incredible high expectations for him as a player, then a coach, and as a friend. He has surpassed my expectations in every way. When the people in Missouri get to know Quin as I do, they'll discover they have a treasure."
During his college career, Snyder was named to the ACC Honor Roll three times and twice won the team's coveted Deryl Hart Award. He was also named GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America in 1989.
Upon graduation from Duke in 1989, Snyder attended training camp with the Indiana Pacers. Rather than seek an opportunity in professional basketball, Snyder elected to return to Duke to pursue other interests. Following a year with the Duke University Management Company, Snyder entered the Duke Law School, which he attended for a year before enrolling in Duke's Fuqua School of Business as well. It was during this year in which he played for the Raleigh Bullfrogs of the Global Basketball Association.
After completing a year of both business and law school, Snyder took a year off from school in order to serve as the assistant coach for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. With the Clippers, Snyder served as a bench coach and was responsible for Western Conference advance scouting. In addition, Snyder assisted the player personnel staff with player evaluation and draft analysis and assisted with the development of the playbook software Replay.
After the NBA, Snyder served as an administrative assistant coach for Duke's team from 1993-95. He received his J.D./M.B.A. in 1995.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Snyder attended Mercer Island High School in the state of Washington. A two-time state player of the year, Snyder led the team to the 1985 state championship. During this time Mercer Island achieved a No. 1 ranking in USA Today's high school polls. Snyder was named a McDonald's All-America, being the first ever chosen from the state of Washington.
