Sep 18, 2014; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder looks at the scoreboard during a 30-14 loss to the Auburn Tigers at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
In honor of Kansas State week, lets look at the best moments from Bill Snyder’s longtime career at Kansas State:
November 30th, 1988: Bill Snyder is named the head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats. The program was 299-510 (.370), good for the most losses of any Division-I program in the country. The Wildcats had 26 game losing streak prior to Snyder’s arrival.
September 30th, 1989: The Wildcats snap a 30-game winless streak with a 20-17 win over the North Texas Mean Green. Goalposts are torn down and the beginning of a 20+ year career at Kansas State truly begins.
November 17, 1990: Snyder’s 1990 squad finishes 5-6, the most wins at “The Little Apple” since 1982 when the Wildcats went 6-5.
December 29, 1993: Several milestones were reached in Snyder’s 1993 season, including reaching nine wins, beating the #13 Oklahoma Sooners and the Wildcats won their first bowl game in program history. Kansas State beat the Wyoming Cowboys 52-7 in the 1993 Copper Bowl.
September 30th, 1995: It didn’t take long. Bill Snyder became Kansas State’s all time-winningest coach after beating the Northern Illinois Huskies 44-0 in Manhattan, Kansas.
August 31st, 1996: The Fightin’ Snyders beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 21-14 in the first ever Big 12 football game played. They went on to finish the 1996 season 9-3, ranked # 17 in the nation.
December 31st, 1997: The Wildcats beat the #14 Syracuse Orange 35-18 at the 1997 Fiesta Bowl. Snyder lead the Wildcats to an 11-1 record and a #8 final ranking, finishing second only to eventual national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers.
December 5th, 1998: Fans in Manhattan, Kansas had legitimate dreams of national championship appearance after finishing the regular season ranked #2. The #10 Texas A&M Aggies upset the Wildcats 36-33 in overtime to win the conference championship and shatter the dreams of Wildcat fans.
December 2nd, 2000: As if the 1998 Big 12 championship game wasn’t painful enough, this time the #1 Oklahoma Sooners defeated the #8 Wildcats in the 2000 Big 12 championship game 27-24.
November 15th, 2003: Kansas State ends a 35-year long winless drought in Lincoln, Nebraska after beating the Cornhuskers 38-9. Snyder starts reaching legendary status among college football coaches.
Sep 18, 2014; Manhattan, KS, USA; The Kansas State Wildcats Pride of Wildcat Land Marching Band performs during a timeout during a game between the Auburn Tigers and the Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Auburn won the game, 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
December 6th, 2003: The Wildcats finally get revenge on the #1 Oklahoma Sooners and win the 2003 Big 12 title game, punishing the Sooners 35-7.
September 11th, 2004: Snyder’s coaching genius appears to start to fade after an unranked Fresno State Bulldogs come to Manhattan and easily handle the #13 Wildcats 45-21.
November 15th, 2005: After 17 years as the head coach of the Kansas State Wildcats, Bill Snyder officially announces his retirement.
November 19th, 2005: Just days after announcing his retirement, Snyder leads the Wildcats to a 36-28 win over the Missouri Tigers. He finished his (first) coaching career at Kansas State with a record of 136-68-1.
November 24th, 2008: After watching Ron Prince coach the Wildcats for three years and struggle to find any kind of success, “The Wizard” had enough. He wanted his old job back and he got it.
December 30th, 2010: In his first bowl appearance since 2004, Snyder’s Wildcats reached the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl only to lose the game due to a unsportsmanlike conduct incident when wide receiver Adrian Hilburn celebrated in the end-zone, which forced a failed two point conversion and contributed to the 36-32 loss to the Syracuse Orange.
November 11th, 2012: The Wildcats reached the #1 spot in the BCS rankings after beating the TCU Horned Frogs 23-10, making program history.
November 17th, 2012: Just one week after receiving the #1 ranking in the nation, the Baylor Bears spoiled the previously 10-0 Wildcats national championship hopes with a 52-24 beat down in Waco, Texas.
Dec 1, 2012; Manhattan, KS, USA; Kansas State Wildcats offensive linesman B.J. Finney (66) and head coach Bill Snyder acknowledge the crowd after being recognized as the Big 12 champions following a 42-24 win over the Texas Longhorns at Bill Snyder Family Stadium . Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
December 1st, 2012: Despite the loss to Baylor, the Wildcats still won the Big 12 title and received an automatic berth to the Fiesta Bowl.
September 27th, 2014: The Big 12 conference tells Snyder that he can’t wear old bowl game jackets. Snyder obliges, but reluctantly.
Snyder is one of the most successful college football coaches in the history of the game, despite coaching at a school that was once dubbed “Futility U”. His junior college recruiting method and getting the most out of his players has changed the face of the Kansas State football program and he will likely be a college football hall of famer. With that said, its time for Texas Tech to beat the old-timer this Saturday.
Check out all of our Kansas State week coverage on the front page of WreckEmRed.com.