We spend a lot of time knocking ESPN here. Like this. Or this. Oh yeah, then there was also this time. OK, you get the point. So we have to give credit where credit is due. While filling in for Paul Finebaum on Monday’s show, Brad Edwards said that he believes Bill Snyder could go down as one of the best coaches of all time.
“You could make a great case for Bill Snyder being 1 of the 10 best college coaches of all-time” – @JBradEdwards
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) July 24, 2017
Alright, Brad Edwards. We’re cool.
This is one of those discussions that never gets the amount of attention that it should. Frankly, it’s because Snyder is hiding in Manhattan, Kansas and it’s just not a sexy topic for talking heads like Nick Saban, Ohio State, Texas, Jim Harbaugh, USC and others are.
But when you take a look at where the Kansas State program was before Bill Snyder and where it was when he stepped away before coming back, it’s fairly easy to make the case that Snyder has built up a program like no coach in modern college football history.
In the 11 seasons leading up to his hiring in 1989, the Wildcats were a combined 27-92-3. That including going 2-30-1 in the three seasons before Snyder under Stan Parrish. Snyder led the team from 1-10 his first season to winning three-straight Big 12 North titles in the late 1990s. His first stint ended with a 136-68-1 record.
After the disappointment of Ron Prince (17-20 in three seasons), Snyder has come back to go 66-37, including a Big 12 title and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl in 2012.
Think about this: Kansas State football has an all-time record of 502-624-42. So without Snyder’s record of 202-105-1, the Kansas State football team has a record of 300-519-41. Horrible!
That would be right up there with some awful programs like Indiana (465-639-45 all-time record). Or Wake Forest (442-648-33 all-time record).
Then when you factor in his generosity and status in the community, and there’s no doubt Snyder’s case as one of the top-ten college football coaches of all time is not nearly as crazy as it sounds.
In fact, it makes total sense. Well done, Brad Edwards.
While I don’t know whether or not this is Bill Snyder’s last season coaching the Kansas State Wildcats, I tend to believe it is. His health was clearly not all that good in Frisco for Big 12 media days. And if he can get his way with his son, Sean, taking over as head coach, Snyder will sprint as fast as a 77-year-old can off into retirement.
So since we don’t know when or if this is it for coach Snyder, let’s make sure we enjoy everything he brings to college football and the Big 12 conference this fall.
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