KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bill Snyder will turn 79 midway through Kansas State’s upcoming football season, but he’s apparently nowhere near ready to retire (again).
Instead, the legendary Wildcats’ coach signed a contract extension through the 2022 season, the school announced Thursday afternoon.
“My entire family and I have been so very grateful for the genuine, caring and loyal support K-Staters have provided our coaches, staff, families and young people on a yearly basis,” Snyder said in a statement from KSU announcing the contract. “And, as I have stated so often we came to Kansas State because of the people, stayed because of the people and returned because of the people, and that remains unchanged.”
K-State will pay Snyder $3.45 million for the upcoming season, his 27th roaming the sideline in Manhattan, with built-in $300,000 raises each of the next two seasons.
After the 2020 season, the new contract includes a renegotiation clause to determine Snyder’s salary for the final two years of the deal — which was approved Aug. 8, 2018, by the K-State Athletics Inc. Board of Directors.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue and will do so as long as I am healthy and feel that I am having a positive impact on our university, community and football program and the young men that are involved,” Snyder said.
Prior to Snyder’s arrival, the Wildcats had only appeared in one bowl game — a 14-3 loss against Wisconsin in the 1982 Independence Bowl — but he’s guided the program to 19 bowl games since 1993.
Ron Prince led K-State to the only other bowl game in program history, a 37-10 loss against Rutgers in the 2006 Texas Bowl.
“It has been a pleasure watching our football program up close over the past year and seeing one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football continue to positively impact student-athletes while also producing winning seasons on a yearly basis,” Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor said in a statement. “With this new contract, we felt that it was important to recognize his commitment to our football program, and we look forward to his continued leadership.”
Snyder will receive a base salary of $1.89 million in 2018-20 plus $1.56 million as part of the licensing agreement in 2018. The latter escalates to $1.86 million and $2.16 million before the renegotiation clause kicks in.
Among other annual benefits stipulated in Snyder’s contract is 12 hours of private plane use and $50,000 for business-related expenses.
He also receives a minimum of $50,000 for bowl qualification among a series of possible bonuses.
Snyder, whose Wildcats play their home games at Bill Snyder Family Snyder Stadium, took over a moribund KSU in 1989.
During 77 seasons before Snyder’s arrival, the Wildcats won more than six games only four times and only once from 1935-88.
Under Snyder, K-State is 210-110-1 record in 26 seasons. That includes Big 12 titles in 2003 and 2012 and four Big 12 North division titles (1998-2000, 2003).
Thus, Snyder, who coached at K-State from 1989 to 2005 then returned in 2009 after a three-year hiatus, is lauded for “the Miracle in Mahattan.”
KSU finished 8-5 last season, including a 35-17 victory against UCLA in the Cactus Bowl.
The program won 11 games in six of seven seasons from 1997-2003 and has averaged more than eight wins during the last eight seasons with a bowl appearance each year.
Snyder was a three-time Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1990, 1991 and 1993 and the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1998, 2002, 2011 and 2012.
He won The Associated Press Coach of the Year, Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, Paul “Bear”’ Bryant Award and Walter Camp Coach of Year in 1998.
Snyder also won the Sporting News Coach of the Year and Woody Hayes Coach of the Year awards in 2011 and repeated as the Bobby Dodd Award winner in 2012.
He was enshrined in the Kansas State Hall of Fame in 2008.
The Wildcats open the season Sept. 1 against South Dakota in Manhattan. The game will be streamed on ESPN3.
