Bill Snyder, the former head coach of Kansas State, is considered by many to be one of the most influential people in college football history.
However, Snyder was ranked No. 23 in The Athletic’s recently published rankings of the top 25 coaches of the twenty-first century, a position that has drawn criticism from many who think Snyder’s career deserves more credit.
Snyder, who oversaw one of the biggest program transformations in sports history, guided K-State through two distinct periods and consistently achieved success in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation.
However, his achievements from the 1990s, when the Wildcats twice came very close to winning a national championship, were not included in The Athletic’s rankings.
With two Big 12 titles, two Fiesta Bowl visits, four 11-win seasons, and five top-15 finishes, Snyder’s record is still impressive within the examined span (2000 onwards).
“But Snyder’s record in the 2000s was still very strong after the peak of one of the most incredible program turnarounds in college football history,” The Athletic reported. It was an incredible accomplishment to come out of retirement in 2009 and demonstrate that this job could still be successful. However, following 2000, Snyder’s Wildcats had six seasons with six or fewer victories, and he only finished in the Top 25 once in his previous six seasons.
However, context is important.
After rising to the top of the BCS standings and losing to Baylor in Week 12, Snyder’s 2012 squad came within one game of winning the national championship.
Texas and Oklahoma, two traditional powers, were defeated by K-State, who finished 8-1 in Big 12 play that year. Given that the Wildcats’ recruiting class going into that season was ranked ninth in the conference and 51st nationally, the accomplishment is all the more remarkable.
The fact that K-State remained competitive under Snyder shows how steep the slope was, particularly in a league full of blue bloods like Texas and Oklahoma.
Snyder had to re-establish the foundation he had created after rejoining the team in 2009 after Ron Prince’s three-year stint. He was effective in doing so, and Kansas State became a consistent Big 12 challenger once more.
Snyder’s influence can also be seen in his coaching tree. Eleven of his previous assistants, including Mark Mangino (Kansas), Bret Bielema (Wisconsin, Arkansas, Illinois), Brent Venables (Oklahoma), and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), went on to become head coaches at the FBS level.
Compared to others rated ahead of him—such as Brian Kelly (No. 12), James Franklin (No. 16), Mark Richt (No. 18), and Mark Dantonio (No. 21)—Snyder’s resume, especially considering the program he established from the ground up, undoubtedly merits greater weight.
And while rankings will always cause debate, one thing is certain: few coaches done more with less than Bill Snyder.
