Bill Snyder

Kansas State University: first tenure, 1989–2005

When Snyder was hired at K-State for the first time on November 24, 1988, he inherited a situation that was several times worse than the one he'd found when he arrived in Iowa with Fry. Kansas State had a cumulative record of 299–510 (.370) in 93 years of play, which was easily the most losses of any team in Division I-A at the time. The school had been to only one bowl game (the 1982 Independence Bowl), had not won a conference title since 1934 and had enjoyed four winning seasons in the previous 44 years (including two in the previous 34 years). The program had also not won a game since October 1986, going 0–26–1 in that time.

Prior to Snyder's first season in 1989, Sports Illustrated published an article about Kansas State football entitled "Futility U," which labeled the school "America's most hapless team."^[9] In hopes of distancing K-State from its losing history, Snyder had art professor Tom Brookhalter create a new logo for the team's helmets, a stylized wildcat's head known as the "Powercat."

Snyder won only one game in his first season, beating the recently renamed North Texas, but it was a significant win because it was K-State's first win in three seasons. The game was especially thrilling, with a touchdown pass coming on the last play of the game.^[10] In Snyder's second season, in 1990, the Wildcats improved to 5–6. The five wins posted by the team had been matched only twice in the prior 17 years at the school, in 1973 (5–6) and 1982 (6–5).

The 1991 season saw another breakthrough when the Wildcats finished with a winning record of 7–4 and narrowly missed a bowl bid. It was only the second winning season at Kansas State since 1970, and the team's 4–3 conference record was only the third winning conference mark since 1934. Two years later, Snyder led the Wildcats to the school's second bowl game—the 1993 Copper Bowl—and their first-ever bowl win. The season also marked the second 9-win season in school history and the team's first ranking in the final top 20 poll. The 1993 bowl game was the first of 11 consecutive bowl appearances from 1993 to 2003—one of just seven schools to do so. K-State won six of those bowl games.

During the 1995 season, Snyder led the Wildcats to their first-ever 10-win season. They also finished sixth in the AP Poll and seventh in the Coaches' Poll–their first top-ten finish in school history. This included a 41-7 thrashing of then-No. 6 Kansas in what is still the only Governor's Cup between two ranked teams. That win was also Snyder's 40th victory at K-State, vaulting him past Mike Ahearn to become the winningest coach in school history.

The Wildcats really hit their stride from 1997 to 2000, with four consecutive 11-win seasons--the first in school history. By this time, the "Powercat" had all but replaced Kansas State's longtime mascot, "Willie the Wildcat," whose costume was redesigned to resemble the Powercat head.

During the 1998 season, Kansas State posted an undefeated 11–0 regular season and earned its first ever number 1 ranking in the national polls, just ten years after being named the worst program in the country by Sports Illustrated. They lost to the Texas A&M Aggies in the Big 12 Championship Game, which has been called one of the greatest games ever played. The loss stopped them from reaching the National Championship and sent them to the Alamo Bowl, where they lost and finished the season 11–2. In the 2003 season, the team won the Big 12 championship –- the school's second-ever major conference title, and their first since 1934. At the time, the 69-year gap between conference titles was the longest in Division I history. They beat #1 ranked Oklahoma in the 2003 Big 12 Championship Game, 35–7. Leading up to the game, many college football analysts called Oklahoma one of the best teams ever. With an 11–4 record in 2003, Kansas State also became the only team in the country to win 11 games in six of the previous seven years, and just the second program in the history of college football to win 11 games six times in a seven-year stretch.

Following disappointing seasons in 2004 and 2005, when the Wildcats went 4–7 and 5–6, respectively, Snyder retired from Kansas State on November 15, 2005, with an overall record of 136–68–1(.667). Not only did this make him far and away the winningest coach in Kansas State history, but his 136 wins were as many as his predecessors had won in the 54 years prior to his arrival combined.

The day after Snyder announced his retirement, K-State renamed its football stadium Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in his and his family's honor. The school had originally wanted to rename it simply Bill Snyder Stadium, but when Snyder got word of the plans, he insisted that they name it after his family--"the people I care about most."^[11] Ron Prince, formerly an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia, was named Bill Snyder's replacement on December 5, 2005.

Snyder's first tenure at Kansas State is still considered one of the most successful rebuilding projects in collegiate history. In recognition of his rebuilding work, Hall of Fame football coach Barry Switzer once stated, "He's not the coach of the year, he's not the coach of the decade, he's the coach of the century."^[12]

Kansas State University: second tenure, 2009–present

After being out of coaching for three years, on November 24, 2008, Bill Snyder was named for a second term as head football coach at Kansas State University, beginning in the 2009 season.^[13] He is one of the only coaches to ever coach in a stadium or arena that is named for him; as previously mentioned, the former KSU Stadium had been renamed for him on the day he announced his original retirement.

In the first season of Snyder's second tenure, the team posted a 6–6 record overall and finished tied for second in the Big 12 North division with a 4–4 conference mark. In his second season in 2010, the team had a 7–6 record and played in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl against the Big East's Syracuse University at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Snyder at 2017 Big 12 Media Days

Snyder earned his 150th win with a season opening victory over Eastern Kentucky on September 3, 2011. During the same season, Snyder became the first FBS coach to have a son (Sean) as an assistant and a grandson (Tate) playing for him at the same time. Coach Snyder led the 2011 team to a 10–2 record in the regular season, finishing second in the Big 12, and earned a berth in the Cotton Bowl. The Cotton Bowl was K-State's first "major" bowl since the 2004 Fiesta Bowl. They lost to The University of Arkansas 29-16. Following the season, Snyder was named Woody Hayes Coach of the Year.

In the 2012 season, Snyder led the team to its first Big 12 Conference championship since 2003. The 2012 team started the season 10–0 and reached the school's first #1 ranking in the BCS standings, before falling to the Baylor Bears in week 11. K-State represented the conference in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, losing to the fifth-ranked Oregon Ducks 35–17. Following the season, Snyder won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.

Snyder has held the head coaching position at Kansas State longer than any other coach. His 209 wins are not only far and away the most in KSU history (no one else has crossed the 40-win mark), but are more than all other KSU football coaches from 1934 to present combined (160 wins). During his tenure, K-State has produced 34 AP All-Americans, 47 NFL Draft picks, and 46 first-team academic All-Americans. He also owns all of KSU's nine-win seasons.

On January 31, 2013, it was announced that Snyder's contract was extended through the 2017 season.^[14]

On August 9, 2018 it was announced that Bill Snyder had signed a 5 year extension that will run through the 2022 season, worth $3.45 million with $300,000 bonuses, and incentives with them to be determined after 2 years.^[15]

Former assistants that became head coaches

Nine of Snyder's assistants have also gone on to become head coaches at other Division I schools, including: Phil Bennett (SMU), Bret Bielema (Wisconsin and Arkansas), Jim Leavitt (South Florida), Mark Mangino (Kansas), Dana Dimel (Wyoming, UTEP and Houston), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Mike Stoops (Arizona), Carl Pelini (Florida Atlantic), Del Miller (Missouri State.)

Awards

On January 9, 2015, Snyder was announced as an inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame. Snyder is only the fourth active coach to receive this honor; under current Hall of Fame rules, active coaches are eligible for induction once they turn 75.

In 1998, Snyder was recognized as the National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and the Walter Camp Football Foundation and was awarded the Bear Bryant Award and the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. In 2011, Snyder was named the Woody Hayes Coach of the Year and the Sporting News National Coach of the Year.^[16] In 2012, Snyder won the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award for the second time in his career. Additionally, ESPN selected Snyder as its national coach of the year in 1991, and CNN selected him as its national coach of the year in 1995. He was also a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award in 1993, 1995, 2011 and 2012; a finalist for the Sporting News National Coach of the Year Award in 1995 and 1998; a finalist for the AFCA National Coach of the Year Award in 1993 and 1998; a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award in 2011 and 2012; a finalist for the Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award in 2012; and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award in 1993, 1995, 1998, 2011 and 2012.

In the conference, coach Snyder was selected Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year by the Associated Press three times (1990, 1991 and 1993). Snyder was also named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year four times: in 1998 (AP, coaches), 2002 (coaches), 2011 (AP, coaches) and 2012 (AP, coaches).

In 2003, Snyder was named to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). In 2006, Snyder was enshrined in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame^[17] and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Booster infraction

On February 18, 1999, Kansas State self-reported to the NCAA's Committee on Infractions that Kansas State boosters had provided a football player with money for his personal use, in violation of NCAA regulations. The committee expressly found no fault whatsoever on the part of Snyder or the institution itself, and said the institution's response to the reported violation was "exemplary." The university voluntarily disassociated itself from seven athletic boosters, and the NCAA extended an existing probation on the school for one year.^[18]

Player misconduct at 2004 Fiesta Bowl

In the early morning hours of New Year's Day, 2004, police were called to the Kansas State team hotel in Paradise Valley, Arizona, by a woman who accused quarterback Ell Roberson of sexually assaulting her.^[19] Roberson and the rest of the Kansas State team were in town to play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Police did not arrest Roberson, and later determined that no crime had been committed and no charges should be filed,^[20] but an investigation by the Kansas State athletic department concluded that Roberson and several other players had violated unspecified team rules.^[21] As a result, Snyder stripped Roberson of his scholarship, denied the players their Fiesta Bowl rings and required them to perform community service. Snyder also issued an open letter of apology to the people of Kansas and supporters of Kansas State's football program for the conduct of his players in the days leading up to the bowl game. The Wildcats wound up losing the Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State 35-28.

Compensation

On June 19, 2009, the Kansas Board of Regents released the results of an audit that was performed by Grant Thornton LLP as an exit analysis for outgoing Kansas State president Jon Wefald. Included among the findings in the audit was that the university paid thousands of dollars to a corporation owned by Bill Snyder rather than to Snyder personally.^[22] Additionally, the university made some of its payments to Snyder from a contingency fund rather than the athletic department's general operating fund.^[22] The audit does not state that any of the payments were illegal, and Snyder has denied that any of the payments he received from the university, either directly or through his corporation, were improper.^[23] The new university president and athletic director later released a joint letter that states, in part, "In our opinion, there are no grounds to even begin to insinuate that Coach Snyder has ever benefited improperly from his relationship with K-State."^[24]

Jim Leavitt hiring

On November 15, 2017 Brett McMurphy reported that Kansas State president, Richard Myers and high profile boosters had reached a verbal agreement between them and Colorado then defensive coordinator, former Bill Snyder assistant Jim Leavitt. The deal was set up for Leavitt to replace Snyder following the conclusion of the 2017 season, and he would be named head coach on or before January 1, 2018 or he'd be owed $3 million. It was stated in the report that Bill Snyder terminated the hiring of Leavitt, because he wants his son, former player, Iowa (1988) and Kansas State (1990-1992), and current Kansas State Special Teams Coordinator Sean Snyder, as he has stated constantly since he left as head coach at the end of the 2005 season. It was also stated that when the KSU president and boosters were prepared to approach Bill Snyder again about Leavitt becoming the new head coach, it was reported that Snyder was diagnosed with throat cancer, so the KSU president and boosters decided not to approach him about the subject. Since then Leavitt has become the defensive coordinator for Oregon, with a special clause stating if he is named as head coach for Kansas State he will not have to pay a buyout.^[25]

Snapping at a reporter

On October 1, 2018, Bill Snyder’s frustration with media questions about K-State’s quarterback situation came to a head Tuesday during his weekly press conference. KMAN sports director John Kurtz opened questions by asking Snyder what we’re all missing that’s keeping the Wildcats from sticking to either Skylar Thompson or Alex Delton at quarterback. After a long stare at Kurtz, Snyder responded. “What are you missing? Probably just that you’re not on the field coaching,” he said. Kurtz then asked Snyder how much of a spark Thompson gave the offense in the second half. Snyder said Thompson was part of the spark, but that the main cause was the anger the offense brought out of the locker room. Kurtz tried to press for a more specific answer, but Snyder cut him off. “You write what the hell you want to write,” Snyder said.^[26]