Bill Snyder
Bill Snyder has served as the head coach for Kansas State football team for 22 years. Before coaching at Kansas State he coached for many high schools and also was the offensive coordinator for North Texas and Iowa. He then began his dynasty with K-State in 1989. Bill has numerous years of great coaching experience, which has made him into a known legend. Before Bill began his career with Kansas State the program was awful and didn’t win games often. Luckily for the program in 1989, Bill as the head coach built the program into a football powerhouse. Bill is known for one greatest college football turnarounds for a program in college football history. Today, many believe he is too old to be coaching college football. However, Bill Snyder is one of the greatest coaches to be alive and will be forever. His leadership and respect flows throughout his entire team. Year after year Bill sends out a family of respectful young men onto the field. The word family thrives through the Kansas State Wildcat football team every year. Snyder teaches each and every guy on the team what it means to be a true family and how to work to together. The respect that the players give to Bill and other players on the field is truly amazing to see. K-State football might not win every game but they are at least giving the sport of football the respect it deserves. Bill Snyder uses a relaxed but yet a very mature style of coaching that quickly develops his football players on and off the field. He might be an old head coach but he is downright wise man. There are many aspects to Bill’s coaching style but they are all quite perfect for what a college athlete should be learning about day in and day out. Some of the core ingredients to his philosophy are Commitment, Unselfishness, Leadership, and Unity. This might seem like quite a few major ingredients to stick into a bunch of football player’s heads but he sure does accomplish it. Commitment is something that Bill really pushes his guys with. Each and every year he will set goals with the team and make sure every player has set their personal goals. If all of these players goals are succeeded and come together as a team then the team itself will be much stronger. Unselfishness is taught so that each and every player will work as a team because there is no “I” in team. When all of the players work together, success follows. Bill pushes all of his players to become great leaders because everyone should set the example. It doesn’t have to be just the seniors; everyone can push each other to be great. Unity is pretty much a word to sum up the Kansas State Football team. Each and every player plays as if they are brothers in a large family. Before every game they walk together on the field with the leader of the pack holding a block of wood that says the word “family”. Bill Snyder creates a brotherly bond between each player on the team. Self-Discipline and Effort are also something that you will see out of the K-State football team. Bill pushes these men to become better and better every day with making the right decisions and just giving every thing they have. Lastly, Bill not only expects his players to truly believe that they are going to win each game but also that they will stay consistent and keep winning through out the season.
Ever since Bill was rehired in 2009 the Kansas State Football team has been through much success. Sure they might not receive the best recruits in the entire nation but they easily work with what they have. So how are they so successful every year since 2009? This team works their tails off and plays the game of football like it should be played. In return this team is faced with success. I personally believe that these players are being exposed to some of the best mental and physical work possible. With first hand experience, every time I attend a Kansas State football game I never see any of the K-State players talking trash to the other team. Bill Snyder knows how to coach football the right way. I absolutely love the way he trains all of his player’s brains. The mental side of the game is the hardest part to overcome and that’s exactly what his specialty is. I have also had an experience with having an older coach. No, they aren’t filled with much energy but everything that coach said when teaching us something was very powerful and wise. I believe this is how it is for these football players. Bill does all the teaching and the assistant coaches that are young enough are able to pump the guys up before the games. The way that all the players respond to Bill Snyder is absolutely incredible. I hope that each player makes the best out of all the things they learn from Bill.
System Development is something that each player from the Kansas State football team will be exposed to. Each player develops in they’re own way and in the end becomes a large part of the team’s success. The development stage is a long process, but with the help Bill Snyder gives that process speeds up. Motivation comes from the will to do better and to succeed the goals you set personally and as a team. Goal setting is huge in Bill Snyder’s football program. If everyone sets goals for themselves, the success from everyone will end with success for the whole team. Bill pushes his team to be mentally and physically prepared for each game so that every player has the confidence they need to perform at their best. As an athlete, if you know that you are fully prepared for the competition you should have all the confidence in the world. The Kansas State football team uses communication to become closer to their teammates. Communication is a strength that Bill passes along to all of his players; this is how to teaches all of his coaching philosophies. Bad habits and good habits are something that can either make or break an athlete on and off the field. If you start creating good habits right from the start then this will carry on for the rest of your life. Good habits off the field will turn into good habits on the field as well. Such as eating healthy, getting enough sleep, going to class, and doing your homework. These are small things that will help develop you in a great way. Bill Snyder teaches responsibility to his players to make sure they are making responsible choices for themselves and for the team. Setting your priorities straight is something that is a complete must for any athlete that wants to succeed. Anything that can set you back from getting better should be cut from your habits and daily schedule. Bill Snyder teaches self-discipline to each player so that they know when they are doing something that they shouldn’t be doing.
Bill Snyder will always be known for one of the greatest college football coaches. His attitude and coaching philosophies are rare to find in coaches.

Works Cited

They Said It Couldn’t Be Done- Bill Snyder, June 1 2006 http://www.kstatesports.com/16goals/#goal03
http://www.nathanmagnuson.com/coach-bill-snyders-16-goals-for-success/