Quin Snyder's life has changed rather dramatically over the past few days.
Sunday night, he proposed marriage. Just a few days later, Missouri proposed he be the Tigers' next head coach.
Both proposals were accepted, and Snyder doesn't have time to look back now on his old life.
"I was a Duke guy, but as of 12:52 yesterday now I'm a Mizzou guy," Snyder said at a press conference in Columbia yesterday announcing his hiring. "This truly is a good time to be a Tiger."
Snyder replaces Norm Stewart, who retired after 32 years last week. The former Duke assistant, who spent the past two years as associate head coach under Mike Krzyzewski, received a five-year contract, though financial terms were not released.
Missouri is coming off a 20-9 season and subsequent loss to New Mexico in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Snyder emerged as the leading contender Tuesday, after former New Jersey Nets coach John Calipari and Tulsa coach Bill Self both turned down the position recently.
Snyder was also considered by Vanderbilt, San Diego State and Notre Dame before the Missouri position was vacated by Stewart, who ironically started coaching the year Snyder was born.
Snyder, at age 32, is the youngest coach in the Big 12.
''I'm unbelievably excited about this opportunity," he said. "It's something I've dreamed about.''
Missouri's new head coach was quick to refer back to his former boss, Krzyzewski, as a model to follow with the Tigers. Snyder also played at Duke under Krzyzewski from 1986-89 and was an assistant for a total of four years.
"I'll look back to the man who was my mentor and I'll try to do things the same way with regards to player development, letting players grow as basketball players and as people," he said. ''I would like every kid from Kansas City to St. Louis to be thinking about playing for Missouri."
Snyder was first contacted by Missouri last Wednesday night and officially accepted the position Tuesday afternoon. Two days earlier, he proposed to his girlfriend, Helen Redwine, at a friend's beach house in Wilmington.
Redwine accompanied Snyder to yesterday's press conference, as did Missouri athletic director Mike Alden. Alden was anxious to find a new head coach in a hurry, since the late signing period for recruits began yesterday.
The signing period runs through May 15, and the Tigers are still going after at least three recruits, however Snyder's quick hiring wasn't necessarily a direct result.
''I wouldn't say we felt any pressure,'' Alden said. ''It had nothing to do with recruits. My pressure was with our student-athletes. I indicated we were going to hit the ground running.''
Indeed, though Stewart took Missouri to 16 NCAA tournaments over a 32-year span, the Tigers never reached the Final Four. Snyder, on the other hand, has played in two and coached in one this season.
''I'm as hungry as it gets, and looking in the eyes of some of our guys, I don't think they've eaten for awhile either,'' he said.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch contributed to this story.
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