We've been naming what we call the face of the franchise for the local teams here in Kansas City.
Today it's Kansas State.
And also the easiest one to name.
TB from SB Nation's Bring on the Cats takes it for us:
You can't think "K-State" without thinking Bill Snyder. We love Frank Martin, and Michael Beasley was a joy to watch for a year, and Michael Bishop nearly led us to a national title game, but given that KS-177 from I-70 to Manhattan is now called "Coach Bill Snyder Highway" and that the stadium is now "Snyder Family Stadium," it would be hard to give the honor to anyone else.
And then TB touches on a topic I've criticized Snyder for in the past and TB has explained to me why I am wrong.
Snyder's become an easy mark for the mainstream media because of his soft scheduling philosophy and throwback ways, but nobody can discount what he's accomplished. In the mid and late 1980s, the mere thought that K-State could win four games a year, much less contend for the Big 8 or Big 12 title, would have drawn laughter. By the mid 1990s, that all changed, and Snyder was the reason.
Say what you will about Snyder, but his revival of KSU is very impressive.