Bill Snyder named to 2017 Bobby Dodd Trophy watch list
Manhattan, Kan. (K-State Sports)–Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder is one of 19 FBS coaches to be named to the watch list for the 2017 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Trophy, the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl announced Wednesday.
Snyder, a 2015 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, is one of only two Big 12 coaches on this year’s list, joining Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy. Snyder has won the Dodd Trophy on two occasions as he led the Wildcats to a 11-0 regular season in 1998 and a Big 12 Championship in 2012.
The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s philosophy.
The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, taking into consideration each program’s graduation rate, commitment to service and charity in the community, projected success for the 2017 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR).
Entering his 26th season at the helm of the Wildcats, Snyder became just the sixth FBS coach ever to notch 200 career wins and only coach at one school as he enters the 2017 season with a 202-105-1 record, including a 118-80-1 mark in Big 8/12 contests. He has totaled at least eight wins in 15 seasons, including nine years with 10 or more victories.
After being predicted to finish eighth in the Big 12 in 2016, Snyder led the Wildcats to a 9-4 campaign – including a 6-3 mark in league action to finish fourth – which ended with a victory over Texas A&M in the 2016 Texas Bowl. The Wildcats bring back 14 starters – eight on offense and six on defense – as they landed third on this year’s Big 12 Preseason Poll.
Snyder has an impeccable reputation of developing players both on the field, in the classroom and in the community. In his 25 previous seasons, 84-percent of his players have obtained their undergraduate degrees, while the Wildcats lead the conference with 83 Academic All-Big 12 selections over the last three seasons, 20 more than the team in second place.
A valuable member of the community, Snyder has also led the charge for his players to be active in the Manhattan area as they are involved in multiple community-service activities including: Senior Kats (visiting retirement homes); Junior Kats (visiting middle schools); Cats in the Classroom (visiting elementary schools); Special Olympics and Adopt-a-Family. K-State Football has also partnered with units from nearby Fort Riley and are currently active with the 1-16 Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, known as the Iron Rangers.
K-State embarks on the 2017 campaign and opens a seven-game home schedule on Saturday, September 2, against Central Arkansas, a game that serves as the ninth-annual K-State Family Reunion. As K-State draws nearer to running its consecutive sellout streak to 40 games, tickets can be purchased through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.
Wildcats on Preseason Watch Lists
Bill Snyder – Bobby Dodd Trophy
Jesse Ertz (QB) – Maxwell Award; Davey O’Brien Award; Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Will Geary (DT) – Bronko Nagurski Trophy; Outland Trophy
Reid Najvar (OL) – Rimington Trophy
Byron Pringle (WR/KR) – Paul Hornung Award
D.J. Reed (DB) – Bednarik Award; Bronko Nagurski Trophy; Jim Thorpe Award
Dalton Risner (OL) – Outland Trophy; Wuerffel Trophy; AFCA Good Works Team
Dayton Valentine (TE) – Mackey Award
Reggie Walker (DE) – Bronko Nagurski Trophy
