Bill Snyder
Encyclopedia
Bill Snyder is the head football
coach at Kansas State University
. He was rehired to the position on November 24, 2008, making Snyder one of the rare college football
head coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same school. Snyder previously served as head coach at the school from 1989 to 2005. The football stadium at Kansas State University
, Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
, is named in honor of him and his family.
. He played football and was the first-string quarterback on the freshman team under coach Al Onofrio
. He left after one semester in Columbia
, returning home to St. Joseph. He would go to a community college for one year before accepting a partial scholarship at William Jewell College
, where he would graduate in three years. Snyder played defensive back at William
Jewell.
. He next worked as a head coach for several years in the California high school ranks. From 1976 to 1978, Snyder worked as an assistant coach at North Texas State
, under Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry
. Snyder and Fry moved together to the University of Iowa
in 1979, with Snyder serving as Fry's offensive coordinator for the next ten years. Snyder was hired as the 32nd head coach of the Kansas State University Wildcats following the 1988 season.
), 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 gone winless in 27 consecutive games.
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." Snyder won only one game in his first season, beating North Texas State
, but it was a significant win because it was the first for the team in three seasons. 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 bowl win ever. 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 games, as Kansas State went to bowl games every season from 1993 to 2003 – one of just seven schools to do so. K-State won six of those bowl games.
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. In the 2003 season the team won the Big 12
championship – the school's second major conference title 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.
Snyder retired from Kansas State on November 15, 2005, with an overall record of 136–68–1. The day after Snyder announced his retirement, K-State renamed its football stadium Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
in his 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." 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."
. He is one of the only coaches to ever coach in a stadium named after him, due to the fact that it was renamed after him upon his original retirement.
In the first season of Snyder's second tenure, the team posted a 6-6 record overall and finished second in the Big 12 North with a 4-4 conference mark. In his second season, the team had a 7-6 record and played in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl in New York City. On September 3, 2011 Bill Snyder won his 150th game against Eastern Kentucky. During the 2011 season Snyder became the first FBS coach to have a son as a assistant and a grandson playing for him at the same time.
Snyder has held the head coaching position at Kansas State longer than any other coach, and his 142 wins as of the start of the 2010 season
are more than his 11 predecessors won from 1935 to 1988 combined. He is far and away the winningest coach in Kansas State history (no other coach has crossed the 40-win mark). During his tenure, K-State has produced 33 AP All-Americans, 42 NFL Draft picks, and 46 first-team academic All-Americans.
A number of Snyder's assistants have also gone on to become head coaches at other Division I schools, including: Phil Bennett
(SMU
), Bret Bielema
(Wisconsin
), Jim Leavitt
(South Florida
), Mark Mangino
(Kansas
), Dana Dimel
(Wyoming
), Bob Stoops
(Oklahoma
) and Mike Stoops
(Arizona
).
and the Walter Camp Football Foundation
, and was awarded the Bear Bryant Award and the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
. He was also a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award in 1993 and 1995, a finalist for the Football News National Coach of the Year Award in 1995 and 1998, and a finalist for the Kodak/AFCA National Coach of the Year Award in 1993 and 1998. Of somewhat lesser note, 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.
In the conference, coach Snyder was selected Big Eight Conference
Coach of the Year by the Associated Press
three times (1990, 1991 and 1993), joining Bob Devaney
as the only two men in Big Eight history to be named Coach of the Year three times in a four-year period. Snyder was also named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year twice, in 1998 (Associated Press, coaches) and 2002 (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
and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
.
Snyder was named a finalist for several coach of the year awards after starting the Wildcats started their 2011 season of 7-1 when most of the media picked the Wildcats to finish the season in 8th place in the Big 12.
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.
, by a woman who accused quarterback Ell Roberson
of sexually assaulting her. 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, but an investigation by the Kansas State athletic department concluded that Roberson and several other players had violated unspecified team rules. 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.
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. Additionally, the university made some of its payments to Snyder from a contingency fund rather than the athletic department's general operating fund. 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. 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."
, where he played defensive back (3 letters) from 1959 to 1962 for Norris Patterson. Snyder also received an M.A. at Eastern New Mexico University
in 1965.
In addition to his work as the football coach, Snyder was active in raising funds for the library at Kansas State University. Snyder also currently serves as chairman of the Leadership Studies Building Campaign, honorary chairman of the K-State Changing Lives Campaign, and is past president of the Friends of the Libraries organization at K-State.
Snyder and his wife Sharon have five children: Sean, Ross, Shannon, Meredith, and Whitney.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. He was rehired to the position on November 24, 2008, making Snyder one of the rare college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
head coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same school. Snyder previously served as head coach at the school from 1989 to 2005. The football stadium at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium is a stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats football team. It is named after head coach Bill Snyder and his family...
, is named in honor of him and his family.
Early years
Bill Snyder grew up without a father and was raised by his mother. He left for college in the fall of 1958 to the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. He played football and was the first-string quarterback on the freshman team under coach Al Onofrio
Al Onofrio
Albert Joseph "Al" Onofrio was the head football coach at the University of Missouri from 1971 to 1977. During his tenure he compiled a 38-41 record. He spent 12 years on the Missouri staff, as an assistant as well. He is notable for having pulled upsets, mainly on the road...
. He left after one semester in Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, returning home to St. Joseph. He would go to a community college for one year before accepting a partial scholarship at William Jewell College
William Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...
, where he would graduate in three years. Snyder played defensive back at William
Jewell.
Coaching career
Snyder had his first collegiate coaching experience in 1966, serving as a graduate assistant coach for the USC TrojansUSC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
. He next worked as a head coach for several years in the California high school ranks. From 1976 to 1978, Snyder worked as an assistant coach at North Texas State
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
, under Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University , North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas , and the University of Iowa , compiling a career college football record of 232–178–10...
. Snyder and Fry moved together to the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 1979, with Snyder serving as Fry's offensive coordinator for the next ten years. Snyder was hired as the 32nd head coach of the Kansas State University Wildcats following the 1988 season.
Kansas State University: first tenure, 1989–2005
When Snyder was hired at K-State for the first time in 1989, he took over a program that had a cumulative record of 299-510 in 93 years of play—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 Bowl1982 Independence Bowl
The 1982 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Kansas State Wildcats at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 11, 1982...
), 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 gone winless in 27 consecutive games.
Prior to Snyder's first season in 1989, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
published an article about Kansas State football entitled "Futility U," which labeled the school "America's most hapless team." Snyder won only one game in his first season, beating North Texas State
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
, but it was a significant win because it was the first for the team in three seasons. 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 bowl win ever. 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 games, as Kansas State went to bowl games every season from 1993 to 2003 – one of just seven schools to do so. K-State won six of those bowl games.
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. In the 2003 season the team won the Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
championship – the school's second major conference title 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.
Snyder retired from Kansas State on November 15, 2005, with an overall record of 136–68–1. The day after Snyder announced his retirement, K-State renamed its football stadium Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium is a stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats football team. It is named after head coach Bill Snyder and his family...
in his 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." Ron Prince
Ron Prince
Ron Prince is an American football coach who currently is the assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. From 2006 through 2008, Prince was the head football coach at Kansas State University. He was one of six African-American head coaches in the NCAA Division I-Bowl...
, formerly an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, 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
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
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."
Kansas State University: second tenure, 2009–present
After being out of coaching for three years, on November 24, 2008, Bill Snyder was named to a second term as head football coach at Kansas State University, beginning in the 2009 season2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
. He is one of the only coaches to ever coach in a stadium named after him, due to the fact that it was renamed after him upon his original retirement.
In the first season of Snyder's second tenure, the team posted a 6-6 record overall and finished second in the Big 12 North with a 4-4 conference mark. In his second season, the team had a 7-6 record and played in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl in New York City. On September 3, 2011 Bill Snyder won his 150th game against Eastern Kentucky. During the 2011 season Snyder became the first FBS coach to have a son as a assistant and a grandson playing for him at the same time.
Snyder has held the head coaching position at Kansas State longer than any other coach, and his 142 wins as of the start of the 2010 season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
are more than his 11 predecessors won from 1935 to 1988 combined. He is far and away the winningest coach in Kansas State history (no other coach has crossed the 40-win mark). During his tenure, K-State has produced 33 AP All-Americans, 42 NFL Draft picks, and 46 first-team academic All-Americans.
A number of Snyder's assistants have also gone on to become head coaches at other Division I schools, including: Phil Bennett
Phil Bennett (American football)
-External links:*...
(SMU
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
), Bret Bielema
Bret Bielema
-Personal life:Bielema announced on April 1, 2011 that he was engaged to his girlfriend, Jen. The wedding is scheduled for spring 2012.-External links:* *...
(Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
), Jim Leavitt
Jim Leavitt
Jim Leavitt is a former American football player and current linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He served at the head coach at the University of South Florida from the football program's inception in 1997 until 2009, compiling a record of 95–57.-Early years:Leavitt grew up in St...
(South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
), Mark Mangino
Mark Mangino
Mark Thomas Mangino is an American football coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks college football team from 2002 to 2009. In 2007, Mangino received several National Coach of the Year honors after leading the Jayhawks to their first 12-win season in school history...
(Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
), Dana Dimel
Dana Dimel
-External links:* *...
(Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
), Bob Stoops
Bob Stoops
Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and a national championship....
(Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
) and Mike Stoops
Mike Stoops
Michael J. Stoops is a former American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at the University of Arizona, a position he held from 2003 until his firing in 2011. Stoops previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, Kansas State University, and the...
(Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
).
Awards
In 1998 Snyder was recognized as the National Coach of the Year by the Associated PressAssociated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award
The Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award is an award that is given annually since 1998 to NCAA college football's national coach of the year. The award is voted on by the Associated Press voters that participate in the weekly college football AP Poll. The current award holder...
and the Walter Camp Football Foundation
Walter Camp Football Foundation
The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
, and was awarded the Bear Bryant Award and the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, longtime head football coach at Georgia Tech and was...
. He was also a finalist for the Bear Bryant Award in 1993 and 1995, a finalist for the Football News National Coach of the Year Award in 1995 and 1998, and a finalist for the Kodak/AFCA National Coach of the Year Award in 1993 and 1998. Of somewhat lesser note, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
selected Snyder as its national coach of the year in 1991
1991 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll...
, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
selected him as its national coach of the year in 1995.
In the conference, coach Snyder was selected Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
Coach of the Year by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
three times (1990, 1991 and 1993), joining Bob Devaney
Bob Devaney
Robert S. "Bob" Devaney was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1962 to 1972, compiling a career college football record of 136–30–7...
as the only two men in Big Eight history to be named Coach of the Year three times in a four-year period. Snyder was also named Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year twice, in 1998 (Associated Press, coaches) and 2002 (coaches). In 2003, Snyder was named to the Board of Trustees of the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
(AFCA).
In 2006, Snyder was enshrined in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in Wichita, Kansas, dedicated to preserving the history of sports in the state of Kansas. The museum provides exhibits, archives, facilities, services, and activities to honor those individuals and teams whose achievements in sports brought...
and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
Missouri Sports Hall of Fame
The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield, Missouri, USA, showcases sports memorabilia of Missouri athletes and interactive displays.-Inductees:-External links:*...
.
Snyder was named a finalist for several coach of the year awards after starting the Wildcats started their 2011 season of 7-1 when most of the media picked the Wildcats to finish the season in 8th place in the Big 12.
Booster infraction
On February 18, 1999, Kansas State self-reported to the NCAA's Committee on Infractions that Kansas State boostersBooster club
A booster club is an organization that is formed to support an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level...
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.
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, ArizonaParadise Valley, Arizona
Paradise Valley is a small, affluent town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2005 Census Bureau, the population of the town was 14,558. Despite the town's relatively small area and population compared to other municipalities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Paradise...
, by a woman who accused quarterback Ell Roberson
Ell Roberson
Ell Roberson III is a former quarterback for the Kansas State Wildcats from 1999-2003. During his senior year, he was 6'1" tall and weighed 209 pounds...
of sexually assaulting her. Roberson and the rest of the Kansas State team were in town to play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
. Police did not arrest Roberson, and later determined that no crime had been committed and no charges should be filed, but an investigation by the Kansas State athletic department concluded that Roberson and several other players had violated unspecified team rules. 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.
Compensation
On June 19, 2009, the Kansas Board of RegentsKansas Board of Regents
The Kansas Board of Regents is a body consisting of nine members which governs six state universities in the U.S. state of Kansas. In addition to these six universities, it also supervises and coordinates nineteen community colleges, five technical colleges, six technical schools and a municipal...
released the results of an audit that was performed by Grant Thornton LLP as an exit analysis for outgoing Kansas State president Jon Wefald
Jon Wefald
Jon Michael Wefald is an American educator and served as the twelfth President of Kansas State University.-Biography:...
. 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. Additionally, the university made some of its payments to Snyder from a contingency fund rather than the athletic department's general operating fund. 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. 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."
Personal life
Snyder is a 1962 graduate of William Jewell CollegeWilliam Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...
, where he played defensive back (3 letters) from 1959 to 1962 for Norris Patterson. Snyder also received an M.A. at Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University , frequently called Eastern, is a state university in Portales, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, USA...
in 1965.
In addition to his work as the football coach, Snyder was active in raising funds for the library at Kansas State University. Snyder also currently serves as chairman of the Leadership Studies Building Campaign, honorary chairman of the K-State Changing Lives Campaign, and is past president of the Friends of the Libraries organization at K-State.
Snyder and his wife Sharon have five children: Sean, Ross, Shannon, Meredith, and Whitney.
Head coaching record
Record against Big 12 Conference opponents
- As of November 21, 20112011 NCAA Division I FBS football seasonThe 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, began on Thursday, September 1, 2011...
. - This chart reflects the results of three conference championship gameBig 12 Championship GameThe Big 12 Championship Game was a college football game held by the Big 12 Conference each year between 1996 and 2010. The championship game pitted the Big 12 North Division champion against the South Division champion in a game held after the regular season was completed.The Big 12 South held an...
s not included in Snyder's year-by-year conference record above.Team Wins Losses Ties Win Pct. Baylor Bears Baylor BearsBaylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...5 1 0 .833 Colorado Buffaloes Colorado BuffaloesThe University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
†6 12 1 .342 Iowa State Cyclones Iowa State CyclonesThe Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports...15 4 0 .789 Kansas Jayhawks Kansas JayhawksThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...16 4 0 .800 Missouri Tigers Missouri TigersThe Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...15 5 0 .750 Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska CornhuskersThe Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
†5 14 0 .263 Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma SoonersThe University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...6 11 0 .352 Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State CowboysOklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...9 4 0 .692 Texas Longhorns 4 2 0 .667 Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...4 5 0 .444 Texas Tech Red Raiders Texas Tech Red RaidersThe Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...4 4 0 .500 Total 89 66 1 .574 vs. North 57 39 1 .587 vs. South 32 27 0 .542
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† - records against Colorado and Nebraska as conference opponents, through the 2010 season. |
Player accomplishments
During the Snyder era, Kansas State players won the following national awards:- Lou Groza AwardLou Groza AwardThe Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza.-Winners:...
(Outstanding kicker) - Martín GramáticaMartin GramaticaMartín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
, 1997 - Davey O'Brien AwardDavey O'Brien AwardThe Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
(Nation's top quarterback) - Michael BishopMichael Bishop (football player)Michael Paul Bishop is a professional football quarterback who is currently on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Practice Squad. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots....
, 1998 - Jim Thorpe AwardJim Thorpe AwardThe Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport legend Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986...
(Outstanding defensive back) - Terence NewmanTerence NewmanTerence Newman is a starting American football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played in the 2008 pro-bowl and has 32 interceptions in his career....
, 2002
Heisman Trophy:
- Michael BishopMichael Bishop (football player)Michael Paul Bishop is a professional football quarterback who is currently on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Practice Squad. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots....
, finished second in the 1998 Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting. - Darren SprolesDarren SprolesDarren Lee Sproles is an American football running back of the NFL who plays for the New Orleans Saints. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
finished fifth in the 2003 Heisman Trophy voting.
All Americans:
During the Snyder era 26 different players have received All American Honors, including 9 consensus All Americans.
- Barret Brooks (OL) 1995†
- Nick Leckey (OL) 2002-2003
- Todd Weiner (OL) 1997†
- Chad May (QB) 1994
- Michael Bishop (QB) 1998
- Darren Sproles (HB) 2003
- Quincy Morgan (WR) 2000
- Chris Chanty (DB) 1995-1996
- Lamar Chapman (DB) 1999†
- Jarrod Cooper (DB) 1998†
- Terence Newman (DB) 2002
- Thomas Randolph (DB) 1993
- Tim Colston (DL) 1995
- Mario Fatafehi (DL) 2000
- Percell Gaskins (LB) 1995†
- Jeff Kelly (LB) 1998
- Mark Simoneau (LB) 1998†-1999
- Josh Buhl (LB) 2003
- David Allen (PR) 1998-1999
- Andre Coleman (KR) 1993†
- Martin Gramatica (PK) 1997-1998
- Aaron Lockett (WR/KR/PR) 2000
- Jamie Rheem (PK) 2000
- Sean Snyder (P) 1992
†-2ed team All American