Coach Snyder Says Goodbye

November 14, 2005, will mark the end of an era in Kansas State football. The man who orchestrated the greatest turnaround in college football history stepped down. Yeah, I’m dumbfounded also. ESPN.com stated that Head Coach Bill Snyder announced his decison to his team on Monday. After 2 strait losing seasons, you might be thinking that he quit. Feeling that he wasn’t a use to the program anymore. But Ted Sims, a senior linebacker, said it best, “Coach isn’t quitting, he’s retiring.” I have no idea what his thought process was. But I truley respect the man with all my heart. He didn’t just take a “hard” job 17 long years ago at Kansas State. He took the hardest Head Coaching job in the whole country. The team had lost 27 strait, was on the verge of being the 1st team to lose 500 games, absolutley horrid facilites, and if the school didn’t see results, the program was going to be dropped. Coach Snyder began to take the loyal Purple Pride on a ride of a lifetime. His 1st season, the team went 1-10, but had a enthusiasm towards the teams play. In 1991, the team went 7-4, 1992 the “Kansas State Kittens” went 5-6, and in 1993, hell froze over. Coach Snyder did the impossible and took the 1993 version of his Wildcats to the Copper Bowl in Tuscon, Arizona. An estimated 20,000 ‘Cat fans made the trip to the game. In the 54-17 romp, the team showed that something specail was on the wayIn 1998, Snyder brought K-State 1 play away from an apperance in a national title game. I was only 8 years old at the time, I watched the whole game, and cried as Texas A&M crossed the goal line in double over time. Fans are still bitter at the loss, but were thrilled with what went on that season. Snyder seemed to do the impossible in ’98. He brought the team to number 1 in the polls, beat the nationally hated Nebraska Cornhuskers, and nearly took the ‘Cats the biggest game of the year. This season puts his whole career into a nutshell. Doing so much, when it all seemed to be impossible.

    In 1999, I went to my 1st Kansas State game. The Cat’s sent UTEP home with a 40 point loss, and sent me home with a dream. From that day, I have always said that I’m going to be a Kansas State Wildcat. To put on the purple and silver would be the thrill of a lifetime. I was thrilled by watching the likes of Mark Simenou, Jonathen Beasley, and Quincy Morgan dominate. To play so hard, and have so much fun, was the thrill of a lifetime.

    Whenever a fellow K-Stater menches Big 12 Championship of 2003, a smile always comes to my face. Bill Snyder didn’t only beat the number one team in the nation, he humiliated them. Snyder sent shockwaves through the entire college football nation with a 35-7 win over the Oklahoma Sooners. With a speeding bullet in Darren Sproles, and a stone wall defense lead by Josh Buhl the Wildcats throttled the Sooners. This monumental win brought Kansas State University to the top of the College Football World. It solidified KSU as a top program, showed a flaw in the BCS (Oklahoma still went on to loose to LSU in the National Championship), and showed me anything is possible.

    That summer I went to the K-State Football Camp. I’ve never had so much fun in my life. Being the ultimate fan, I was in heaven talking to all the coaches, former players, and best of all, Coach Snyder. I walked up to him, introduced myself, said I played Quarterback. He asked how my grades were, “A’s and B’s sir, but everything can always be improved.” “Yes, yes it can,” he thoughtfully answered. It’s always his work ethic thats stuck out in my mind, when I think of Bill Snyder I think of him sitting in his office writing notes, watching film, or looking down upon Wagner Field thinking….just thinking.

    2004… I’m still bitter about that and am just going to say that wasn’t a fun season.

    Coming off a 4-7 season, every aspect of the team was under constant question. Also, the topic of how much longer Coach would stay and lead the Wildcats. “Whenever you start talking about retiring, it’s time.” Snyder said in a early season interview in Powercat Illustrated. He also said he was looking forward to this season, still had the fire burning, and ready to bring Kansas State back to the top. Of all the people who could, I knew he was the one who could.

    That brings me back to November 14. With a 4-6 record, Kansas State seniors, and Coach Snyder played and coached there final games as a Wildcat. The team finnally showed it wanted to play, and it played the “Snyder Way.” A special teams, a interception returned for the game winning touchdown, and hard nosed running. My favorite part about that game was the team finnally played with a fire that the loyal Catbackers had come to know during the Snyder Era. With 1:23 to go, and a one point lead, Brandon Archer intercepted Missouri quarterback Brad Smith and took it 46 yards to pay-dirt, and sealing the 36-28 victory.

    No one in college football was as dedicated as Bill Snyder. Only he could’ve taken a program from a speck of dust into a mountain of gold. Thousands of Wildcats say thank you Coach for brining joy to our fall Saturdays, there was nothing better then watching your teams with 50,000 other loyal fans.
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    Thank you for reading this. It’s my first article I’ve really put some effort in to. It needs work, but I’m young and have the time to do so.