Sweating in light blue North Carolina gym shorts, Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder ran laps around the team's gym at El Segundo shouting words one would never think a former Duke assistant coach would say.

"I'm a Tar Heel born born/I'm a Tar Heel bred/and when I die, I'm a Tar Heel dead/So it's Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina"

Or so says Lakers Coach Mike Brown, who jokingly suggested North Carolina alums Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Lakers assistant coach John Kuester demanded Snyder go out of his comfort zone if he wanted to join Brown's coaching staff. 

"I'm waiting for Quin to try to sue Mitch, and throw John's name in there too," Brown joked during a red-carpet appearance this week at Best Buy for its NBA2K12 release. "It's embarrassing to say he did do it. I know it's going to be heartbreaking news for all you Dukies out there.... He definitely took one for the job."

The following email exchange with Quin Snyder, the final installment of a three-part Q&A with the Lakers assistant coach, continues a series of Q&As with members of Mike Brown's coaching staff.

Your head coaching stint with the Missouri Tigers (1999-2006) included six consecutive postseason appearances, four NCAA postseason appearance and an Elite Eight berth. But you were also fired and faced NCAA violations. What’s your big picture view on your stint there?

I’m very proud of what we accomplished. We graduated over 90% of our players and we won a lot of games. We played in the postseason every year I was there and we were a basket away from making it to the Final Four. Also, a state-of-the-art arena was built during our tenure. I had the privilege to coach quality young men and those relationships will endure. Some of the guys that played for me have gone on to have success in the NBA, some overseas and others in business, and I’m still very close with many of them. That stands the test of time.

I had blind spots, having never been a head coach before and going to a place where I was really unfamiliar. Learning how to deal with adversity is something that will make me better for the rest of my life. It honed my interest in the game. It challenged me from the standpoint that I had to truly decide what I love about the game and why I wanted to keep coaching. You get knocked down and you have to decide if you want to get back up and keep going. My tenure there helped shape me and has made me a better coach.

Below is an email exchange with Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder, a former head coach with the University of Missouri. This is the second of a three-part Q&A with Snyder.

You’ve developed a reputation for quickly developing players. How do you do that?

Development is generally thought of in the context of skills and physical maturity. But there are probably more players that face the challenge of developing as competitors and teammates. Players know when coaches are vested in their success, and helping their overall development is definitely something that I enjoy. As a college coach, it is obvious college players need to get better. And what I found in both the D-League and in the NBA is that players always want to get better.

Are there any examples?

When I coached the Austin Toros (the San Antonio Spurs' D-League team) we led the D-League in call-ups. One of our players got called up at 8 a.m. on the day of a game. He gave me a call and said, ‘Coach, I’m getting called up to the NBA.’ Those are great moments.

I think that point when players know that you really care about them and that you’re able to say difficult things to them as well, and be truthful, that to me is probably the cornerstone of developing players. 

This continues a series of Q&As with members of Mike Brown's coaching staff.

Below is an email exchange with Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder, former head coach with the University of Missouri. This is the first of a three-part Q&A with Snyder.

During your interview with Brown, what points did you emphasize?

I wanted to show him that I could fill any need on the staff, whether it’s on the side of player development, scouting, game preparation or execution in practice.  An assistant coach has to wear a lot of hats, but our primary job is to support the head coach and the players.  You have to be prepared to do that in any given situation.  

How did sell yourself in the job interview?

I brought plenty of examples of things that I have done, everything from scouting reports, game preparation and hundreds of practice plans that I made when I was a head coach. I also showed him my pick and roll analysis. I think pick and roll offense and defense are fundamentally important in the NBA. It’s something I wrote an article on a while ago in FIBA Assist Magazine. I wanted to show him that and emphasize it, because of the high percentage of possessions that have pick and roll in them.

I also had examples of philosophical things that I felt both about offense and defense. The fact that I have opinions was something that I wanted him to know, and that I would be willing to offer my opinion and defend it even when there was disagreement. To do that in the right kind of way will hopefully add value. I wanted him to know that I was serious and really wanted the job and maybe that was the biggest thing.

What role does Brown want you to take on his coaching staff?

Both players' roles and coaches' roles evolve. As Coach Brown learns where certain coaches have strengths, what they gravitate toward, or what the needs of the team are, those roles will evolve. So many things can influence one’s role for both players and coaches, such as off-season signings, injuries or different match-ups. I think I’m prepared for any role. Coach Brown will decide which ones make more sense.