The K-State Wildcats have earned bowl eligibility and rebounded nicely. However, there remains a black cloud on the future of the program with a coaching controversy looming.
A big win this weekend over the Iowa State Cyclones bumped the K-State Wildcats to fourth in the Big 12 standings. The Wildcats will finish the 2017 season with a trip to a bowl game, though not likely an impressive one. However, the biggest story in Manhattan right now has to be the looming coaching controversy.
Not long ago, it was reported that legendary Wildcats coach Bill Snyder had blocked the hiring of Jim Leavitt as his successor. Snyder wanted his son, and current Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coach, Sean Snyder to take over. The move made some waves as it appeared to be a clear case of nepotism in the college ranks.
We don’t have much more clarity on the situation, except that there appears to be a bit of a history when it comes to Bill Snyder and Jim Leavitt not being on the same page. In the meantime, this K-State story has taken a back burner to situations throughout the country. That doesn’t mean that KSU doesn’t have a big issue to deal with soon.
Bill Snyder offered Jim Leavitt a position coach job last year but says he was unaware of any side deal for $3m.
— kevin kietzman (@kkhasissues) November 20, 2017
Will K-State Get Involved In Coach Carousel?
In just the past few days, Chip Kelly has gone to UCLA, Dan Mullen to Florida, Kevin Sumlin is out at Texas A&M, and lord knows what is happening at Tennessee. There will surely be some more moves made in the upcoming weeks, but it is clear this is going to be a big offseason for coaching moves.
So the question has to be on whether or not the K-State Wildcats will get involved. This program is good enough to make a major move in the coaching ranks. They can grab a big name coach that is currently on the market, or poach an up-and-coming young coach from a smaller program. However, they will have to move quickly.
Related Story: K-State Football: Coaching Controversy Could Affect Recruiting
The list of available coaches this offseason is actually pretty impressive. It would make sense for the program to strike while the iron is hot. K-State is a winning football program in a Power-5 conference. That will be enough to entice a good number of qualified head coaches. I think it would be foolish to pass on that opportunity.
Sean Snyder Doesn’t Seem Qualified
Unfortunately, it appears that will not be the path that the K-State Wildcats will take. All signs still point to Sean Snyder as the next top man at KSU. Truth be told, I don’t get why the administration is going along with this.
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We can all understand the reason why Bill Snyder wants his son to take over. I mean, why wouldn’t he? It’s also something that’s easily justifiable in Snyder’s mind. Sean Snyder has been an assistant on his father’s staff since 1994. That’s a long time to be a part of the program, and he has held a coordinator position for a while now.
However, Sean Snyder has no head coaching experience, nor has he spent any time outside of the program. Everything Snyder knows about football, he has learned from his father while being a part of the program. That might sound good, but the truth is that coaches need that outside experience to get a better appreciation of what other team’s do.
I just don’t see Sean Snyder as being qualified for a job like Kansas State.
The K-State Wildcats are at a crossroads for the future of the program. The Big 12 is strong enough to bury any program that makes a misstep, so the Wildcats really can’t afford to be wrong. While KSU is still playing winning football now, it isn’t by much. This program can easily slip under the next head coach. That’s a lot of pressure on the school.