Bill Snyder gave a vintage performance at his Big 12 Media Days session on Tuesday morning. One of the wise old men in the college football coaching fraternity, Snyder dropped a few pearls of insight that anyone would do well to live by. Kansas State’s head coach showed precisely why he’s been able to not only survive, but thrive, in a cutthroat profession for so long.
How long has Snyder coached at Kansas State, minus the forgettable Ron Prince years? This tweet from George Schroeder of USA Today puts things in perspective:
Bill Snyder up now at #big12fb media days. Fun fact from @BerryTramel: When Snyder 1st hired at K-State, OU’s coach was @Barry_Switzer. #wow
— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) July 22, 2014
How does a coach take a doormat program — which Kansas State was in the mid-1980s — and turn it into an annual threat? Fundamentally, such a project can’t be viewed through the prism of years; it has to be seen through each practice. As this tweet shows, Snyder is still focused on — as any good spiritual director would say — “living in the now”:
Bill Snyder on his thoughts on the season: My degree of optimism is negotiated daily.
— Ben Kercheval (@BenKercheval) July 22, 2014
Snyder later said, “Be where you are,” just to drive home the point about living in the present moment.
With apologies to Jon Stewart, THAT is your moment of zen for today.