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 Change of pace Missouri players applaud hiring of youthful Snyder
Posted: Wednesday April 07, 1999 11:17 PM
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- If his goal was to please the players, Missouri athletics director Mike Alden made the right choice of a new coach. To Missouri players, the hiring of Duke assistant Quin Snyder, 32, means a faster style of play on the court and a closer relationship with the coach off the court. Those changes would address the two most frequent criticisms of former coach Norm Stewart. Some said Stewart, 64, was out of touch with his players, as evidenced by his argument with freshman Keyon Dooling during a game against Colorado. And some, such as freshman guard Clarence Gilbert, didn't like Stewart's old-fashioned half-court style of play. "I was considering transferring," Gilbert said. "I mean, I like to get out and run. I'm a fast guy. I want to get out and run and have fun, and that's the way I've always been." Snyder, at Wednesday's news conference, emphasized that he wants to run. Although the players had liked Missouri assistant Kim Anderson, who also interviewed for the job, Snyder's words were well received. "If it wasn't Coach Anderson, I think the unanimous decision of the team was that we were hoping for Coach Snyder because of the excitement and the possibilities that he brought," said junior forward Jeff Hafer. As he met with the team Wednesday morning in the Hearnes Center locker room, Snyder asked the players to form a half-circle around him with their stools. Snyder asked them to sit close to him and look into his eyes as he spoke, Gilbert said. For Gilbert and the other Tigers, it was a time to bond as a family. "We were all right there as a close unit," Brian Grawer said. "Everybody was listening to his every word, soaking in all he had to say. He was very passionate about the game and us as individuals, and that's very exciting." Only 10 years out of college himself, Snyder will bring a fresh perspective to the Tigers after Stewart's 32-year tenure. Dooling, who has admitted there were rocky moments in his relationship with Stewart, said Snyder immediately connected with him. "It's not just the fact that he's young, but that he can relate to us," Dooling said. "He's excited about working with us, and that's what I'm looking forward to. It was a great first impression. He related to us right away, and that was pretty impressive." Snyder did nothing to disappoint Gilbert, who had his sights set on Snyder from the beginning of the coach search. "Quin was my favorite from the beginning," Gilbert said. "I was telling Keyon and all those guys that I wanted Quin. Not to degrade the other guys, that's just who I wanted."
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