How Dennis Gates Plays a 'Father Figure' Role for Mizzou Players

Dennis Gates has a strong reputation for building long-lasting connections with his players.

Though the 2025-26 season hasn't started for Gates and the Missouri Tigers, it's already clear he's creating those connections and establishing those relationships with his players, whether they are veterans in the program or new.

For the five-man transfer portal class that Gates added in the offseason, they're already feeling the love from their new head coach. Gates does coach these guys hard, but he also plays a different type of role in their lives.

"Coach Gates is like a father figure, for sure, because he comes in, he pours into us," junior guard Sebastian Mack said Monday in an interview with MissouriOnSI. "He's always available whenever you need him. He answers first ring, all that."

For freshman guard Aaron Rowe, a Columbia native who's still adapting to the speed and toughness of college basketball, having a figure like that to learn from has been impactful.

"If he is getting on you, it's out of love, and he just wants the most for you," Rowe said.

Another newcomer who is impressed by how open and available Gates is Jevon Porter, someone who's not new to the city of Columbia by any means. He's finding even more comfort with Gates as his head coach.

Porter feels he has more than a coach and a leader in Gates. He's a person that Porter can go to for anything outside of basketball when needed.

"He's made it more than clear that he's always there for me or anyone else on the team, no matter what it is and it's been great to be a part of that," Porter said.

Porter has now been with three different college basketball head coaches, while being recruited by many others as a high schooler and in the transfer portal. What he's seen from Gates so far in his time with the Tigers is nothing short of unusual, in his eyes.

Porter was coached by Stan Johnson at Loyola Marymount last season and Lorenzo Romar for the two seasons prior at Pepperdine.

"It's very rare, I feel like, in this industry, with coaches, to have a guy like him," Porter said. "[He] cares about the individual person aside from the player."

Gates has also been of aid to Arizona State transfer Shawn Phillips, who's had issues over the past few seasons getting in foul trouble and containing his emotions. The two have worked at it together to make sure that's improved while Phillips is a Tiger.

"In the past, I had a little problem trying to control my emotions," Phillips said. "All summer, he just been challenging me to do that by putting me in positions, in situations, to make me control my emotions and not react to certain things."

Missouri's head coach has plenty in place to make sure his players stay composed and calm, starting in practice. Per sophomore wing Annor Boateng, Gates isn't afraid to call people out and make an example of them.

"If we get frustrated [that] our shots not falling, he'll even call us down to the middle and be like, you got to hold my hand for the rest of the practice," Boateng said. "You're not going to be over here pouting about a missed shot."

There is plenty of tough coaching from Gates and his staff. Even if that does mean a player will get chewed out for mistakes, they are all clearly aware that his style of communication comes from a place of love and respect.

"He always wants the best for us," Boateng said. "Regardless that he's on our butt a lot, he definitely wants the best for us."

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