MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder was named one of 10 finalists for the 2011 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, the award committee announced today at the National Football Foundation Awards press conference in New York.
In his 20th season as the Wildcats’ head coach, Snyder is now up for this third National Coach of the Year honor as he was named the recipient of the 2011 Woody Hayes Award and one of five finalists for the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Eddie Robinson Award on Tuesday.
Joining Snyder as finalists for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award are Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Brady Hoke (Michigan), Mark Hudspeth (Louisiana), Mike London (Virginia), Les Miles (LSU), Bobby Petrino (Arkansas), Mark Richt (Georgia), Nick Saban (Alabama) and Dabo Sweeney (Clemson).
As a finalist, Snyder is counting on the Wildcat fans to help get him to the top spot via fan voting. Fans can vote once a day, every day at www.coachoftheyear.com.
If Snyder wins the 2011 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, he will receive $50,000 to donate to a charity of his choice and $20,000 in scholarship to the K-State Alumni Association.
Snyder, currently the 11th-winningest active coach among FBS schools, has led Kansas State to a 10-2 record this season and a No. 8 ranking in the final BCS standings after being picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 preseason race. The Wildcats, which headed into the 2011 season with nine first-year starters, have won a nation-leading eight games this season by seven points or less and 10 games in a season for the first time since 2003.
Named the 32nd head football coach at Kansas State on Nov. 30, 1988, and again as the 34th on Nov. 24 2008, Snyder has amassed a 159-82-1 (.659) record during his 20-year tenure with the Wildcats, including an 89-64-1 (.581) mark in Big 8/12 games, and currently ranks fourth among active coaches with 150 or more wins at FBS schools since 1990.
A two-time national coach of the year selection, Snyder’s 159 victories are more than triple the man in second place on K-State’s all-time coaching victories list, while the legendary head coach has led the program to 13 bowl games, which included 11 straight from 1993-2003 and back-to-back appearances in 2010 and 2011.
