Sometime during the 2016 season:
Sources said Kansas State’s top officials, including president Richard Myers, and the school’s highest-profile boosters were all on board with Leavitt, then a Colorado assistant, joining KSU's staff and then replacing the legendary Snyder after the 2017 season. Leavitt and the school had an agreement, guaranteeing Leavitt $3 million if he wasn’t named K-State’s coach by Jan. 1, 2018. (Source: McMurphy)
Early December 2016
However, last December, Snyder pushed back on Leavitt, a former KSU assistant, being named his replacement. After Snyder refused to give his approval of Leavitt as his replacement, Leavitt left Colorado to become defensive coordinator at Oregon. (Source: McMurphy)
December 14, 2016
Jim Leavitt announced as DC at Oregon
Late 2016 / Early 2017
In late 2016/early 2017, Kansas State officials were prepared to approach Snyder again about approving Leavitt as his replacement. However, Snyder, who turned 78 on Oct. 7, was diagnosed with throat cancer, so the school opted to no longer pursue the plan for Leavitt to replace Snyder. (Source: McMurphy)
February 13, 2017
Snyder announces that he is undergoing treatments for throat cancer but will be on the field when K-state starts spring practice. On the same day it was announced that long time AC/OC Del Miller was retiring.
February 28, 2017
John Currie hired as Tennessee Athletic Director
March 19, 2017
Mike Cox leaves the KSU Coaching Staff creating a vacant LB Coach position.
April 11, 2017
Announcement that Jon Fabris was hired as DE Coach and Blake Seiler was promoted to fill the LB Coach Vacancy.
April 14, 2017
Gene Taylor hired as the new KSU Athletic Director
A few points of interest about the time line:
* The vacancy that Snyder referenced today did not occur until well after the talks in the McMurphy report had passed. All of those events were in Dec. 2016 and at that time there were not any openings. The opening at LBC did not occur until March.
* Del Miller's retirement was not announced until February... even if Hayes was considering retiring it is unlikely that a decision would have been made in December.
* All of these events occurred prior to Gene Taylor ever being on campus or associated with the program.
A few other thoughts on the matter:
* The McMurphy report states that Snyder shot down Leavitt "as his replacement". I think this is as much about not wanting a replacement at all (and certainly not one selected by Currie) as it is about anything specifically about Leavitt.
* In the quote today Bill had some very nice things to say about Leavitt. It also showed that he (as recently as the Spring) had wanted him to be a part of his staff. I think that was the takeaway from today's statement. He likes JL. He thinks highly of him. They are friends. A DC at Oregon making over a million per year is not going to come be a position coach at KSU (plus there would be buyout issues). I think everyone knows that. I don't think that was the point trying to be conveyed.
* Leavitt never "desired" to be a HCIW. He wants the HC job. He may have considered a ST HCIW, but that was not his desire. He did not come up with the plan.
Sources said Kansas State’s top officials, including president Richard Myers, and the school’s highest-profile boosters were all on board with Leavitt, then a Colorado assistant, joining KSU's staff and then replacing the legendary Snyder after the 2017 season. Leavitt and the school had an agreement, guaranteeing Leavitt $3 million if he wasn’t named K-State’s coach by Jan. 1, 2018. (Source: McMurphy)
Early December 2016
However, last December, Snyder pushed back on Leavitt, a former KSU assistant, being named his replacement. After Snyder refused to give his approval of Leavitt as his replacement, Leavitt left Colorado to become defensive coordinator at Oregon. (Source: McMurphy)
December 14, 2016
Jim Leavitt announced as DC at Oregon
Late 2016 / Early 2017
In late 2016/early 2017, Kansas State officials were prepared to approach Snyder again about approving Leavitt as his replacement. However, Snyder, who turned 78 on Oct. 7, was diagnosed with throat cancer, so the school opted to no longer pursue the plan for Leavitt to replace Snyder. (Source: McMurphy)
February 13, 2017
Snyder announces that he is undergoing treatments for throat cancer but will be on the field when K-state starts spring practice. On the same day it was announced that long time AC/OC Del Miller was retiring.
February 28, 2017
John Currie hired as Tennessee Athletic Director
March 19, 2017
Mike Cox leaves the KSU Coaching Staff creating a vacant LB Coach position.
April 11, 2017
Announcement that Jon Fabris was hired as DE Coach and Blake Seiler was promoted to fill the LB Coach Vacancy.
April 14, 2017
Gene Taylor hired as the new KSU Athletic Director
A few points of interest about the time line:
* The vacancy that Snyder referenced today did not occur until well after the talks in the McMurphy report had passed. All of those events were in Dec. 2016 and at that time there were not any openings. The opening at LBC did not occur until March.
* Del Miller's retirement was not announced until February... even if Hayes was considering retiring it is unlikely that a decision would have been made in December.
* All of these events occurred prior to Gene Taylor ever being on campus or associated with the program.
A few other thoughts on the matter:
* The McMurphy report states that Snyder shot down Leavitt "as his replacement". I think this is as much about not wanting a replacement at all (and certainly not one selected by Currie) as it is about anything specifically about Leavitt.
* In the quote today Bill had some very nice things to say about Leavitt. It also showed that he (as recently as the Spring) had wanted him to be a part of his staff. I think that was the takeaway from today's statement. He likes JL. He thinks highly of him. They are friends. A DC at Oregon making over a million per year is not going to come be a position coach at KSU (plus there would be buyout issues). I think everyone knows that. I don't think that was the point trying to be conveyed.
* Leavitt never "desired" to be a HCIW. He wants the HC job. He may have considered a ST HCIW, but that was not his desire. He did not come up with the plan.
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