Bill Snyder is reportedly announcing his retirement from Kansas State football and leaves behind one of the most impressive legacies in college football.
Bill Snyder is a college football institution and no one will question you on that proclamation. He came to Kansas State in 1989 following a nine-year stint as Hayden Fry’s offensive coordinator at Iowa. When arrived in Manhattan in 1989, Kansas State was the worst college football program in the country, with a program record of 299-510 when Snyder arrived. All he did after that was make Kansas State a perennial power in the Big 8 and the Big 12, winning two conference championships and three Big 12 North Division titles.
It has been rumored over the past few seasons that Snyder’s retirement would be coming sooner rather than later. Things really boiled over after least season when Bill Snyder blocked a deal between Kansas State and current Oregon defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt for him to become the next head coach of the Wildcats, as Snyder wanted his son, Sean, to replace him when he chose to retire.
All in all, Bill Snyder’s retirement will be a good thing for the Kansas State program. Snyder is a college football legend, without a doubt. But sometimes, even legends can wear out their welcomes. While many Kansas State fans have flashbacks of the Ron Prince era and how poorly it turned out, the list of candidates to choose from are much better than they were back in 2005 and 2006.
it won’t be easy to fill the shoes of Bill Snyder in Manhattan, but it’s not nearly as hard now as it was almost 13 years ago at this time. During Snyder’s second tenure, many renovations and upgrades to Kansas State facilities were made, most notably a $69 million renovation of the north end zone of Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, including upgrades to the locker room, weight room and coaches offices.
Now is the time for Snyder to go, and while the end of his tenure will likely be remembered for his stubbornness, it’s likely we never see what he did at Kansas State duplicated ever again.