The Lion's Lore
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The lion’s lore APUBLICATION OF THE KANSAS BETA CHAPTER OF SIGMA ALPHA EPSILON WINTER 2006 Brotherhood and Goodwill Alive and INSIDE: Well at ΣΑΕ Myers Connection ith the fall 2005 semester behind us and the spring to KSU Wsemester approaching, I am happy to say that all is well 2 with Kansas Beta. Last semester was busy for the chapter; between intramural sports, Homecoming week, Wildcat National Convention football and basketball, planning incoming philanthropy, the Highlights chapter has been quite active. 4 Homecoming 2005 was successful and full of festivities. In Alumnus Spotlight cooperation with ΑΞ∆ Sorority and ΑΤΩ Fraternity, ΣΑΕ 5 finished in a very respectable third place overall for spirit week. In individual events, the chapter placed second in the float and Wildcat Request Live dance competitions, and high accolades in yard art, Paint the ’Ville, and spirit signs. BILL SNYDER: In the midst of the good times, ΣΑΕ is working toward noble THE BEST pursuits. I am pleased to announce this year the chapter will help the Boys and Girls Club of FOOTBALL COACH Manhattan run their Lil’ Dribblers basketball program. Between EVER January and March, ΣΑΕ brothers will help coach and referee the -Staters everywhere were surprised youth team games. In its inaugural K and saddened when they learned year, the chapter is excited to be a in mid-November that Bill Snyder was part of this valuable program. If as retiring as the head football coach at successful as envisioned, the frater- K-State. Snyder is credited with the nity is hopeful to make this an greatest turnaround of a major college annual event. football program in the history of college football during his l7 years in Manhattan. Kansas Beta is pleased with the In cooperation with ΑΞ∆ and ΑΤΩ, ΣΑΕ finished second success of the fall semester and It was indeed a fortunate day for Wildcat in the 2005 Homecoming parade float competition. looking forward to an eventful fans when Associate Athletic Director spring semester. We are proud to Jim Epps noted Snyder’s success as the continue the traditions established over the past 93 years and offensive coordinator at the University of are confident in the future of ΣΑΕ on the KSU campus. Iowa. He pointed this out to Athletic Director Steve Miller, who, after inter- Phi Alpha, viewing Snyder several times, offered William Barnhart ’05 him the head coach job at K-State. Eminent Archon (Continued on page 2) The lion’s lore page 2 BILL SNYDER (Continued from page 1) “Snyder participated This was thought to be a dead-end would be the most significant. Twelve victories in the past l3 years coaching position since the Wildcats over KU would be another milestone. in numerous were widely considered the worst fundraising efforts major college football program in the Probably no recap of the Snyder era would be complete without country. In the 54 seasons preceding mention of the heartbreaking 36-33 double overtime loss to Texas for the university the hiring of Snyder, since winning A&M in the l998 Big l2 championship game in St. Louis. The and the City of the Big 6 title in l934, K-State had Wildcats, led by quarterback Michael Bishop, the runner-up for the only five winning seasons and was Heisman Trophy, were undefeated after 11 straight victories in the Manhattan. He the first major college football program regular season, including a 40-30 shootout over Nebraska ending 30 to lose 500 games. The situation had years of frustration against the Cornhuskers. Ranked Number l in was kind enough to become so critical that there was the country part of the season, the Wildcats blew a l5-point fourth give the ΣΑΕs a behind-the-scenes maneuvering to quarter lead and thus were denied an opportunity to play Tennessee replace K-State in the Big 8 for the national championship. No K-State loss has ever been more tour of the football conference with Arkansas. During difficult, and Snyder was understandably devastated by it. facility and speak this time, K-State played Oklahoma in Norman five straight years due to In 10 of his 17 seasons at K-State, Snyder’s teams won nine or more at the 90th reunion financial considerations. games, including six years (l997-2000, 2002-03) when they won 11 of Kansas Beta games each season. His teams were ranked in the top 25 for 80 By coming from two touchdowns consecutive weeks from l995 to 200l. He coached eight consensus three years ago.” behind in the season finale against first-team All-Americans and 68 first-team All-Big 8/l2 selections. Missouri (the l3th straight victory over the Tigers), Snyder ended his career at K-State with l36 victories Tributes from fellow coaches and the against 68 losses and one tie. In Big 8/Big l2 games, his record was media poured in from throughout the “I don’t think 76-52. In the 93 years K-State had played football before Snyder country after his retirement announce- anybody in college arrived, the Wildcats had only 299 total victories. K-State went to ment. Among the most revealing were: 11 straight bowl games under Snyder (the Wildcats had played in coaching has done only one bowl game prior to that) and won the Big l2 championship “I don’t think anybody in college in 2003, routing the nation’s top ranked team, Oklahoma, 35-7. coaching has done what Bill Snyder what Bill Snyder has done. I broadcast for l4 years and has done. I Snyder’s teams won the Big l2 North championship three times. seven or eight of them were in college His teams led in total defense five times in six years beginning in football, and no football coach did a broadcast for l4 l998 and never ranked below fourth in the nation. He was selected better job of coaching football players years and seven or Big l2 Coach of the Year five times and National Coach of the Year than Bill Snyder. No football coach. in l99l, l994, and l998. In addition to working l8-hour days (he once No coach of the year. No national eight of them were consulted a hypnotist to determine if he could reduce the amount of championship team. None of them.” sleep he needed) and 50 weeks per year, Snyder participated in Kansas City Chiefs Coach Dick in college football, numerous fundraising efforts for the university and the City of Vermeil. and no football coach Manhattan. He was kind enough to give the ΣΑΕs a tour of the football facility and speak at the 90th reunion of Kansas Beta three “Bill Snyder has done the single did a better job of years ago. greatest job of turning a football coaching football program around.” Lee Corso, ESPN In his l7-year tenure at K-State, enrollment increased from l6,261 college football analyst. players than Bill to 23,l82 students; annual donations to the university increased Snyder. No football from $l2.6 million to $83 million; and royalties from licensing “You can say that Snyder recruited on K-State logos have grown from $32,900 to $893,000. No one has the academic margin, that he lived on coach. No coach of been more instrumental to the growth and success of K-State than jucos, that he was a control freak and, Bill Snyder. yes, he had his share of bad boys. I the year. No national say the man was absolutely brilliant. championship team. Among the many memorable games in the Snyder era was his first What he did is the greatest accom- victory in the fourth game of his first season (l989), a 20-l7 victory plishment in college football history.” None of them.” over North Texas State on the last play of the game. This broke a Tom Shatel, Omaha World-Herald. Kansas City Chiefs string of 30 straight non-winning games for K-State (29 losses and (Continued on page 3) a l7-l7 tie with Kansas). The Big l2 title victory over OU in 2003 Coach Dick Vermeil page 3 sigma alpha epsilon Major contributors to the revitalization of the K-State football program are President Jon Wefald and Vice President Chapter Eternal Bob Krause. They were instrumental in not only hiring Bill Snyder, but in retaining him at K-State when major football powers John “Jack” M. Parker ’41, Dana Point, Calif., entered Chapter Eternal on (LSU, UCLA, Texas, and others) tried to May 10, 2005. He graduated with a degree in geology. In 1983, John received a hire him. The administration put together distinguished Service Award from KSU. He was a retired petroleum geologist, an attractive overall package in order to instrumental in exploring the Northwest Territories on the Mackenzie keep Snyder. River from 1942 to 1944. Jack grew up in Manhattan, where his father, John H. Parker, was a KSU agronomy professor in the 1920s. He is survived by his children: This was of critical importance since Susan, Becky, Deirdre, and John; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. successful K-State coaches in the past had been lured away. College Football Hall of Paul T. “Tom” Martin ’43, La Jolla, Calif., passed on to Chapter Eternal in Fame coaches Charles Bachman (l920-27) May 2005. and Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf (l934) went to Florida and Northwestern, respectively. John S. Sterns ’50, Hiawatha, Kan., passed on to Chapter Eternal on July 10, A.N. “Bo” McMillen (l928-33) left for 2005. He attended KSU one semester before being drafted into the United States Indiana, and Bill Meek (l95l-54) went to Army.