Reports: K-State head coach Bill Snyder to announce retirement

Associated Press

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose Wildcats have gone 8-13 after winning the Big 12 championship two years ago, plans to announce his retirement at a news conference Tuesday, several Kansas news outlets are reported.

Snyder told his players about the decision Monday night, according to reports in Tuesday issues of The Wichita Eagle, The Kansas City Star, The Topeka Capital-Journal and The Salina Journal, and on a Kansas State fan Web site -- all citing unnamed sources.

Messages left by The Associated Press on the home and cell phones of sports information officials late Monday were not immediately returned.

Kansas State, at 4-6 with its final game of the season Saturday at home against Missouri, failed to qualify for a bowl game for the second straight year. The last time the Wildcats missed bowl games in consecutive seasons was 1991 and 1992.

Despite the recent losses, Snyder is credited with one of the biggest turnarounds in college football history. When he took over in 1989, Kansas State was the only major college program with 500 losses.

Under his leadership, the Wildcats have gone 135-68-1, including a run of 11 straight bowl games that began with the 1993 season.

Kansas State fan magazine Web site gopowercat.com reported that Snyder told his team around 9 p.m. Monday that he was stepping down after 17 years for health reasons.

Snyder said after the Nebraska game that the Wildcats have nobody to blame except for themselves for their performance this year.

''We have experienced this before, quite obviously,'' he said. ''We have had some extremely disappointing losses, and this is probably as disappointing to our players and coaches as any.''

After stunning top-ranked Oklahoma 35-7 in the 2003 Big 12 title game, Snyder lost a list of big playmakers, including quarterback Ell Roberson, wide receiver James Terry and virtually the entire defense.