Alden had lawyer at interview
Glazier offered ‘moral support.’

The brouhaha over who said what to prompt the abrupt departure of University of Missouri-Columbia men’s basketball Coach Quin Snyder has brought some high-priced legal talent to Columbia.

Michael Glazier, a premier lawyer in the college sports business, accompanied MU Athletic Director Mike Alden when Alden was questioned this week about Snyder’s abrupt departure.

But Athletic Department spokesman Chad Moller said Glazier was on hand as Alden’s friend, not as his lawyer.

"There’s nothing to represent Mike about," Moller said, adding that Alden and Glazier have been friends for a long time.

"They’ve known each other for 15 years, and when he spoke with Mike prior to this meeting, Mr. Glazier offered to come down and be in the room and offer moral support, and Mike took him up on it," Moller said.

Glazier went in with Alden when he met with independent investigators Jean Paul Bradshaw, a Kansas City lawyer, and Dalton Wright, a Lebanon newspaper publisher.

University of Missouri system President Elson Floyd asked Bradshaw and Wright to get to the bottom of what was said that led to Snyder’s resignation.

Accounts differ over what message was conveyed to Snyder by Alden through an intermediary, Gary Link, who is a special assistant to Alden.

Glazier is a legal specialist when it comes to navigating the world of NCAA investigations. He formerly worked for the NCAA enforcement staff before going into private practice.

As the managing general partner at Bond, Schoeneck and King of Overland Park, Kan., Glazier has represented hundreds of university interests accused of violations.

In 1991, Glazier’s firm billed the University of Missouri $721,972 for two years’ work for representing MU in a case involving then-Coach Norm Stewart, the Kansas City Star has reported.

More recently Glazier’s firm received more than $30,000 from MU during the case of former basketball player Ricky Clemons.

The Clemons saga began with his conviction for assaulting a female companion and ended with an NCAA investigation of Snyder’s program.

Glazier was not paid for accompanying Alden during questioning by Wright and Bradshaw, Moller said.

Bradshaw, a former U.S. attorney, was appointed last year as a member of the NCAA Division II committee on infractions.

The case involving Snyder’s departure does not involve NCAA violations.

Reached by telephone today, Bradshaw would not say whether any of the people involved in the Snyder matter were now represented by lawyers.

Bradshaw said he knew Glazier and respected his work and that they had mutual friends in Kansas City.

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Reach Terry Ganey at (573) 815-1708 or tganey@tribmail.com.

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