KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What Bill Snyder never achieved as a football player, he did as a coach.
Snyder's coaching career at Kansas State University is legendary, but it almost didn't happen.
After several moves, Snyder made his way to the University of Iowa where he vowed to stay.
"When I got to Iowa I said, no more. We've moved around, I've moved my family around, I'm going to stay right here," Snyder said.
Despite several attempts and offers from teams around the country, including Kansas State, Snyder was set in his decision. However, K-State athletic director Steve Miller at the time, was not satisfied.
After the football season, Snyder went to Manhattan, Kansas, and picked a spot on campus to stop and ask people about the culture.
"They were all so very gracious and they obviously were representatives of people of the university, whether it was faculty members, students, etc., and so that was really what made the difference for me," Snyder said.
In 1988, Snyder left Iowa and became the head football coach, inheriting the worst program in the country. The Wildcats were the only team to have lost over 500 games in history.
Snyder and the Wildcats got to work. With a lot on his plate, Snyder even went to a hypnotist in hopes it could keep him from needing some shut-eye.
"I made some contacts in regards to that and what a professional told me was, that won't work. You cannot do that, that will not help you one bit, so it was short lived," Snyder said.
In his first season, the Wildcats finished 1-10.
"The primary objective was that each and every young guy in our program would become better every single day of his life as a person, as a student and as a player," Snyder said.
In 1995, Snyder led K-State to their first 10-win season in history, and reached many more milestones along the way before retiring for the first time in 2005.
After 4 years of retirement, Snyder returned as head coach, retiring for a second time in 2018. Still living in Manhattan, Snyder said he keeps his distance from the program, but attends games at his namesake stadium.
"I talk to a lot of coaches around the country on a very frequent basis and my best encouragement to all of them is just, do what you think is best," Snyder said.
With a career full of achievements, it's the little things that mean the most to the coach.
"I have a storage room full of boxes that are full of nothing but letters, cards and letters and a large number of them are from ex-players and I cherish them," Snyder said. "The gist virtually of each and every one of them, all of the said in different ways, you know coach, I didn't really get it then, but I sure get it now."
As for his legacy, only one thing matters to him.
"I just always wanted to do what would make my mother happy," Snyder said.
At 82 years young, Snyder would still be coaching if he could, but he said "nobody wants an 82-year-old coach."
