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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

K-State working to rebuild trust

By Associated Press

In this Nov. 19, 2005, file photo, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder waits with his team to take to the field before a game against Missouri in Manhattan. After retiring in 2005, Snyder once again will coach the Wildcats.

Charlie Riedel/AP File Photo

In this Nov. 19, 2005, file photo, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder waits with his team to take to the field before a game against Missouri in Manhattan. After retiring in 2005, Snyder once again will coach the Wildcats.

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Manhattan — Kansas State is putting football coach Bill Snyder at the head of the parade in its campaign to recapture the trust of angry donors and disillusioned fans.

“There is no better scenario in all human history than to come into a new presidency and a new athletic directorship and have the greatest coach in the history of the institution (be) a ‘new’ coach on the sideline,” athletic director John Currie said while introducing a series of new initiatives on Monday.

“It couldn’t be a more comforting or reassuring thing for both president (Kirk) Schulz and I.”

Even though Snyder’s name was mentioned in an audit that embarrassed the school and infuriated its fan base, the Wildcats have decided that he is nevertheless the most respected asset they have. He has not been accused of wrongdoing and steadfastly maintains he never received anything that was not due him.

“We have unbelievable confidence in coach Snyder and I’ve been really, really honored to spend time with him,” said Currie. “I’ve already learned so much from him and have even more respect for him than I had when I first walked on the campus six weeks ago.”

Snyder began his resurrection of Kansas State’s long-moribund program in 1989 and tickets that year cost $9. So, Currie announced, there will be 1,989 tickets go on sale for $9 for the Sept. 5 home opener against Massachusetts, a game Kansas State has dubbed a “K-State family reunion” in a drive to sell out Bill Snyder Family Stadium and welcome him back to the sidelines.

After retiring following the 2005 season, Snyder agreed to return when Ron Prince was fired last winter. Nobody knew that six months later revelations of extravagant spending by the previous administration, including athletic director Bob Krause, would make headlines across the country.

The audit, prepared for the departure of president Jon Wefald, uncovered a series of questionable contracts and spending habits. Perhaps most infuriating to Kansas State fans was the eye-popping $3.2 million in deferred compensation for Prince, who was already getting a $1.2 million buyout despite a three-year losing record.

The audit also said no supporting documents could be found for 13 payments totaling $845,000 to Snyder and former athletic directors Krause and Tim Weiser.

“We know we’ve got some trust to rebuild with our fans,” Currie said Monday.

Snyder stood in the back of the room but left without speaking with reporters.

“I know everything he’s received, there wasn’t anything crooked or under the table being done,” said his son, Sean Snyder, a Kansas State assistant athletic director. “For his name to show up on that stuff, it was wrong, it shouldn’t have. There’s nothing we can do about it now. We’ll look forward and move on and whatever happens, happens.”

Last week, the school pledged that no money received through donations or ticket sales would be used to pay off the buyouts. Those obligations, Currie said, will be covered with money generated through television and radio contracts and participation in Big 12 and NCAA events.

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Comments

worrynotjhawk (anonymous) says...

Because turning the program around can wait!

July 14, 2009 at 5:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

phogthedog (anonymous) says...

Hmmmmm, Sean Snyder (son of Bill) is assistant athletic director?

July 14, 2009 at 6:14 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

prairie_rattler (anonymous) says...

“I know everything he’s received, there wasn’t anything crooked or under the table being done,” said his son, Sean Snyder, a Kansas State assistant athletic director....
LMAO!!!

July 14, 2009 at 6:57 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

LOL worrynotjawk.

That sign is priceless isn't it??

I don't mind KState, I really don't, but I think it'd be a little amusing to see them lose to UMass.

July 14, 2009 at 8:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Migady (anonymous) says...

You can trust me, I am his son.

July 14, 2009 at 8:37 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jaminrawk (anonymous) says...

Maybe they will all wear acid washed jeans with cowboy boots over them and blare "Achy Breaky Heart" for this reuinion. Wait, they already do that in Manhattan ...

July 14, 2009 at 9 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawkerjoel (anonymous) says...

Does anyone remember the promotional slogan, "Bringing Back the Glory Days" back in the late 1980's, when Glen Mason was first hired?

Perhaps K-State should ditch "Because the Hall of Fame can wait" slogan with "Because no one else wanted the job" or maybe, "Bringing back the Glory Days when we actually had one conference championship and KU had 7."

July 14, 2009 at 9:24 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jaminrawk (anonymous) says...

If this is a family reuinion, is Snyder going to be the old senile grandpa they wheel out and sit in the corner with a blanket over his knees?

July 14, 2009 at 11:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

The only problem with this trust in Bill plan is part of the trouble K State is in right now is because there were two big checks written under the table and unaccounted for until discovered a couple months ago -- one was written to Bill Synder.

July 14, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

waywardJay (anonymous) says...

There are too many jokes here and not enough time...... I just got through the title without guffawing......

July 14, 2009 at 12:13 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

I think the AP missed a key part of this quote:

"Last week the school pledged that none of the money made on the $9 ticket sales would be used to pay back the 4 million bucks, some of which went to Coach Synder"

What will the money be used for then? Are they going to document exactly what they do with this $9 per ticket money they will make? Will they have to make this promise to fans for every game, or just the $9 per ticket game?

July 14, 2009 at 12:58 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

TheShot122293 (anonymous) says...

They should start the festivities of their 9 dollar game with jumbotron footage of the Big 12 championship game versus the Aggies.

Then they can raise the ticket prices back up to their normal ten bucks.

July 14, 2009 at 2:05 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

mvjayhawk (anonymous) says...

all the stuff the kitty cats are doing, are geared to the past. Snyder's hiring goes to the past. somebody was right above....Snyder didn't take this gig because "he got out too soon" or "his family didn't want him to leave before,"...and on and on. He took the gig because Wefald and whoever their AD was before begged him to come back. they had nowhere else to go.

and now their athletic dept. handed out checks willy nilly and gave Prince a huge buyout under the table. they need these promotions, because they're probably in the hole with all of this spending.

they caught lightning in a bottle 20 years ago. KU and ISU didn't care about football...OU and OSU had their glory years ripped away by scandal, ...and Wefald sold the soul of the school for success in football. And Snyder had some young assts that were willing to work 18 hour days...to get their careers going (Leavitt, Stoops, Stoops, Mangino et al).

if 'cat fans think they're going to have multiple 11 win seasons again...they better think again. it ain't happening this time around.

July 15, 2009 at 8:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

martyks (anonymous) says...

All Our Yesterdays... lol The Big Twelve has passed them by so their answer is to escape into their past. Maybe they need to replace their Wildcat label with the Enterprise warping away from an exploding sun... I know... I know... an obscure and outdated reference there, but we are trying to harken back into the past, are we not? This team probably needed to hire William Shatner to coach them. He obviously negotiated the price of those tickets. What a joke! To try to pass off the $9 ticket as some sort of nostagia move. It's their opening game and they have to beg people to come to the game? That's really kind of pathetic.

July 15, 2009 at 8:31 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

charlesyu (anonymous) says...

Still mountains of tickets left for KU games, nearly 1,600 plus family zone tickets still unsold, and tons of Rock and Chalk Packs still unsold, as well as thousands of reserved season tickets still unsold. That's why the athletic department still has to have expensive advertising campaigns to sell tickets. I bet they'll be tons of cheap tickets available for the Duke, USM and Iowa State game outside of the stadium and online.

July 15, 2009 at 11:09 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

charlesyu (anonymous) says...

Yeah I remember the 1990's . . . Colorado and Nebraska really sucked. In 1995 4 Big 8 teams finished in the Top 10 in the country. From 1996 to 2003, the Big 12 North won 3 Conference Championships, 2 National Titles, and had teams finish in the Final Top 25 17 times.

Since 2003 the Big 12 North has had 1 Conference title, 0 National Titles, and had 6 teams finish in the Final Top 25.

If anyone is benefiting from a down conference it's ku. The Big 12 North is a shadow of its former self, and this year as last year ku won't be playing 77th rated schedules.

July 15, 2009 at 11:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mvjayhawk (anonymous) says...

charlesyu,

why don't you buy a ticket then? i'd love to see you there.

and why were the 90s better as far as Big 12 north teams? Nebraska was a lot better back then...but OU and UT weren't very good either. they got A LOT better....while UN went down. why hasn't KSU done as well with a down Nebraska? because KU is also A LOT better.

See, we have to compete with MU, KSU Nebraska and ISU for football players. if we don't beat these peer schools, we're not going to do well. Prince was 0-6 vs UN, MU and KU.....and lost to ISU once.

Meanwhile, KU is 15-9 against these schools since 2003...3-17 the previous five years. it's not hard to understand....a school gets better, and the others get worse.

BTW, Nebraska won only one national title since the Big 12 was formed (and it was a split)....i don't know who you think won the 2nd title.

July 16, 2009 at 7:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )