ESPN Films' SEC Stories Series Returns with Premiere of NORM

ESPN Films' SEC STORIED series returns on Sunday, May 1 at 9 p.m. ET, with the premiere of "Norm." The film chronicles the life of Missouri men's basketball coaching legend Norm Stewart. It is the first of three documentaries that will be released in May and June. SEC Storied: Norm presented by Auto Owners Insurance centers on Stewart's life as an athlete, a husband, a coach and a cancer survivor.

"Norm" is the 25th film in the SEC STORIED library. The film is directed by Peabody Award-winner Fritz Mitchell ("It's Time: The Story of Brad Gaines and Chucky Mullins", "Ghosts of Ole Miss"). Mitchell's "It's Time" was also nominated for two Sports Emmys in "Outstanding Sports Documentary" and "Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics."

The newest SEC STORIED film features interviews with Norm Stewart, Virginia Stewart (Norm's wife of 59 years), several of his players, including: John Brown, Derrick Chievous, Greg Church, Gary Link, Anthony Peeler and current Missouri men's basketball head coach Kim Anderson. ESPN analysts Jon Sundvold (Missouri 1979-83) and Jay Bilas also appear in the film, along with UNC head coach Roy Williams. Williams coached against Norm's Tigers during his tenure at Mizzou's basketball rival Kansas.

"Norm" Synopsis In the spring he threw a no hitter for the University's baseball team. In the winter he led the basketball team in scoring. That summer he married the homecoming queen. In 1956, on the University of Missouri campus, Norm Stewart was the man. Unlike most big men on campus, whose exploits drift into folklore Norm's best days at The University of Missouri were ahead of him. In 1967 the Shelbyville, Missouri native would become the Mizzou men's basketball head coach. As much as his program leading 634 wins endeared him to the fans, his fiery style and loyalty to the state that raised him have made "Norm" a Missouri legend.

About SEC STORIED ESPN Films launched the SEC STORIED documentary series in September 2011, presenting fans the opportunity to explore the rich athletic history of the Southeastern Conference. From extraordinary athletes and coaches to defining games and moments, the series has featured films that focus on the SEC's recent and more distant past, including one of the most-viewed documentaries in ESPN history, "The Book of Manning." In 2015 SEC STORIED received its first two Sports Emmy nominations for both "Outstanding Sports Documentary" and "Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics" with the film "It's Time: The Story of Brad Gaines and Chucky Mullins."

SEC Network The Southeastern Conference and ESPN launched SEC Network on August 14, 2014. The network televises over 45 SEC football games, 100 men's basketball games, 60 women's basketball games, 75 baseball games, and other events from across the SEC's 21 sports annually. Programming includes in-depth analysis and storytelling in studio shows such as SEC Nation, daily news and information with SEC Now, original content such as SEC STORIED and SEC Inside, and more. Hundreds of additional live events are available for streaming exclusively on SEC Network's digital companion, SEC Network+, via WatchESPN and SECNetwork.com. The network has 70 million subscribers in the US and is also available in more than 50 countries throughout Europe, Middle East and AFRICA via ESPN Player, ESPN's sports streaming service in the region.

About ESPN Films Created in March 2008, ESPN Films produces high-quality documentary films showcasing some of the most compelling stories in sports. In October 2009, ESPN Films launched the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning 30 FOR 30 film series. Additional projects from ESPN Films include theSEC Storied series and short film series 30 FOR 30 Shorts, SPIKE Lee's 'Lil Joints, and Eva Longoria's Versus. The group's highly-anticipated 30 FOR 30 documentary event "O.J.: Made in America" will air in June.

To post a comment, you must register and login.