Bill Snyder: Money-driven college football is 'in a bad place'

In comments made to The Star and Metro Sports before the KC Catbackers Club meeting Tuesday in Overland Park, and to KCSP (610 AM) in an interview aired Wednesday morning, Snyder said college football "was in a bad place." "We've allowed it to be TV-driven, and allowed it to become more important to a university than it should be," Snyder said. "We're educational institutions, and what's really important is trying to enhance the lives of young people and give them guidance and direction to help themselves." In the radio interview, Snyder was asked if the game's state would have an impact on his future, if "he wants to be in it much longer." Snyder's response: "You're not too far away. You're absolutely right." He also said he was "grossly overpaid for what I do. That's part of what creates the issue." Snyder signed a new five-year contract worth $14.75 million in January. But Snyder said the problems aren't unsolvable. "It's like anything else, it can correct itself," Snyder said. Snyder, whose Wildcats are coming off a Big 12 championship season, is expected to be back in Kansas City on Friday to accept the Burns & McDonnell Coach of the Year Award at the Kansas City Sports Commission Banquet.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/17/4186927/snyder-down-on-money-driven-college.html#storylink=cpy

Bill Snyder is the coach of the Kansas State football team.

This is is second term...he retired once, but came back after his successor was fired....and no ‘big name’ coaches wanted the job.

He is credited with ‘turning around’ Kansas State football - and I believe he has more wins since 1988, than the program had in all preceding years. He is very popular in Kansas...even somewhat respected by rival fans here. He is generally a class act.

I sort of have a problem with him - but its really more of a problem with Kansas State fan reaction to him. They believe he is one of the most successful college coaches of all time. When pressed about his fairly thin record of top 10 finishes, top 5 wins, even Big 12 Championships, the reply is ‘well look at what he has to work with’. And, that is somewhat true - not alot of talent wants to go to school in the middle of Kansas.

Snyder has to be pushing 80, and can’t be around for much longer, though.

His trademark is using Junior College players. These are guys who either weren’t good enough to sign with a Division I team (but have improved after 2 years of Juco)....or were deemed way too risky, as far as meeting academic standards go, and have to do some remedial courses before going to a full scale university.

So, Snyder finds a way to get players from a pipeline that some other coaches overlook.

Another thing he has mastered is using punching bags to get his win count up. Usually he schedules his 3 out of conference games right at the front of the season...and usually these are very obscure (sometimes not even division I) schools. It serves as a good practice, for the in-conference games...and he can usually count on a quick three wins, which is a good start if the primary goal is bowl eligibility. Now other schools usually play at least 2 pushover games...but if they really want a crack at the national championship, they schedule at least one out of conference game against a tough opponent (like Alabama opening its season against Michigan last year). This really isn’t Snyder’s goal. At one point, he had I think an 11 season streak of bowl appearances, and the fans loved it.

Another reality of the Big 12 north is that the competition just isn’t that good. The conference is all scrambled now, but he used to be able to count on games against KU, Missouri, Colorado, and Iowa State...who haven’t been consistently goo for a very long time. Add to that Nebraska, which faltered during the last few years of its membership, and Snyder could usually count on 4 wins from the north. He could go 1 and 3 in the south (tough teams like Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St.) and still be bowl eligible. And some years his southern opponents included Baylor, which until recently has been terrible.

And that’s his formula. Early wins against easy opponents - which usually gets him in the top 20. Do well in the north, and survive the south with at least one win. And you get to go to a bowl game.

Its made him a legend in Kansas.

Now I do agree with your initial statement. Usualyy K-State ranks around 50 in recruiting class, but ends its seasons in the top 25. So he is doing more with less. But, at some point, one would think there would be some expectation to improve on recruiting...but K-State fans don’t seem to really care too much - as long as they beat KU and go to a bowl game.

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