Sean Snyder won't be the next K-State coach. I am fairly certain of this. And if he becomes the next coach, it won't last long. I'd give it a few years tops before he is fired.
The fanbase doesn't want him, and basically never has. The opposition has intensified recently but it has always been there. Bill has heard it, but has ignored it. All along he has felt that he'll have enough sway to ensure that Sean takes over when he steps down. Time will tell if he is right. But Bill failed Sean either way.
If Bill was serious about Sean replacing him, he would have told him to go earn it. You don't earn it by being gifted the unofficial title of coach-in-waiting by your father. You earn it by turning around somebody else's program. Six years ago, Bill should have insisted that Sean take over at Charlotte, FIU, UAB or a dozen other low-level programs who were desperate for a turnaround. Instead, he named Sean assistant head coach and told him to wait.
If Sean achieved massive success somewhere else, the fanbase would welcome him back with open arms. And Sean might return to K-State with an infusion of new experiences, fresh ideas, talented coaches, and an exciting vision for making K-State football better than it's ever been before.
But there's a few problems with all this. First, we don't know if any other school wants Sean, or if they've ever wanted him. If it is so clear that this guy is qualified to coach at a major program, then why haven't lesser programs jumped at the chance to hire him? Second, if Sean is so good, why wouldn't he be seeking out chances to prove himself? This is what I find most concerning. You can go up and down the list of coach's kids who aspire to become head coaches. Most of them--certainly not all--want to carve out their own name. They want to earn it.
If I were Gene Taylor, I would tell Bill exactly that. Sean didn't earn it.
And then I'd hire Brent Venables.
The fanbase doesn't want him, and basically never has. The opposition has intensified recently but it has always been there. Bill has heard it, but has ignored it. All along he has felt that he'll have enough sway to ensure that Sean takes over when he steps down. Time will tell if he is right. But Bill failed Sean either way.
If Bill was serious about Sean replacing him, he would have told him to go earn it. You don't earn it by being gifted the unofficial title of coach-in-waiting by your father. You earn it by turning around somebody else's program. Six years ago, Bill should have insisted that Sean take over at Charlotte, FIU, UAB or a dozen other low-level programs who were desperate for a turnaround. Instead, he named Sean assistant head coach and told him to wait.
If Sean achieved massive success somewhere else, the fanbase would welcome him back with open arms. And Sean might return to K-State with an infusion of new experiences, fresh ideas, talented coaches, and an exciting vision for making K-State football better than it's ever been before.
But there's a few problems with all this. First, we don't know if any other school wants Sean, or if they've ever wanted him. If it is so clear that this guy is qualified to coach at a major program, then why haven't lesser programs jumped at the chance to hire him? Second, if Sean is so good, why wouldn't he be seeking out chances to prove himself? This is what I find most concerning. You can go up and down the list of coach's kids who aspire to become head coaches. Most of them--certainly not all--want to carve out their own name. They want to earn it.
If I were Gene Taylor, I would tell Bill exactly that. Sean didn't earn it.
And then I'd hire Brent Venables.
