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College Football's Greatest Coach? According to this, it's not who you think.

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BUCKEYE3M's picture
September 30, 2016 at 3:58pm
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Who is the greatest coach in college football?  What makes up the greatest coach in college football?

For me, it would come down to two people, simply because they win, and win often.  They win championships, recruit better than anyone, and frankly are operating on their own plane.  And, little surprise, they are Urban Meyer and Nick Saban. 

But, others have a different point of view.  Some think that being able to recruit better doesn’t make you a better coach.  Some think that a guy like Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder just might be the best guy in the business.

I think most people know what Snyder’s done in his time in Manhattan.  But, I don’t know how much people know about the man who really does care for players. I’m not implying others don’t, I’m just giving him credit for what he does.  And, here’s a story you might not know:

Bryce Brown was an elite recruit out of Wichita, Kansas, and like his brother Arthur, he spurned Bill Snyder and Kansas State.  Arthur to Miami, and Bryce to Tennessee.  Arthur transferred back to Kansas State, where he turned into an All-Big XII middle linebacker, and after a tumultuous stay in Knoxville, Bryce followed suit.

However, things never quite worked out for Bryce, and he never played a single down for the Wildcats.  But, his story didn’t end there.  It didn’t end there, because Bill Snyder cares.

Bryce Brown knew that the college thing wasn’t for him, and he was three years removed from high school, so he just wanted to enter the draft.  It was in his best interests, I believe, and Snyder apparently agreed.  But, Brown had a big problem.  Not playing for a team would rob him of reps, training, and likely an invitation to the combine.  So, he needed a place to train.

Enter Snyder.  He told Bryce that if he stayed enrolled in school, stayed out of trouble, and maintained his grades, he could have unlimited access to the football facilities to train.  Brown held up his end of the bargain and Snyder his, and the following spring, the Philadelphia Eagles rewarded them both by selecting Brown in the NFL draft.

Now, K-State nor Snyder will ever get credit for putting Brown in the NFL draft, but a case could be made that is was only possible because of them, because they believed in a young man, and gave him a chance to go earn his keep in the world, which brings me full circle to the article above:

And when it comes to players, Snyder goes out of his way to look for kids who not only display ability on the field, but also show signs of high character, and he molds these young men into the best athletes and citizens they can possibly be, stressing to them about living up to potential.

 He's a Hall of Fame coach for a reason.

 

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