Communication not enough at Kansas State

By John Hillman  |   Sunday, June 21, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Kansas State Wildcats
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John Currie made the right first move. But Kansas State donors won’t fill the athletic coffers until Bill Snyder puts a winning football team on the football field

Last week, the Wildcat athletic director toured the Sunflower State and came clean with KSU fans regarding the previous administration’s mismanagement. Currie also promised to institute reforms and controls to prevent future financial mistakes.

The Kansas State AD termed the meetings as “damage control.” That phrase might be mild considering the potential losses from secret long-term agreements with former head football coach Ron Prince, as well as administrators Tim Weiss and Jim Epps could exceed $7 million.

Currie’s honesty and integrity may win back the trust of the Kansas State faithful. But in these current tough financial times, an economic hit of this magnitude won’t be easily recovered.

In three seasons under Prince, the Wildcats compiled a 17-20 record. KSU appeared in one bowl during that span, a 37-10 loss to Rutgers in the 2006 Texas Bowl.

However, Prince’s problems ran much deeper than simply wins and losses. He alienated many Purple and White fans and damaged relations with high school and junior college football coaches across the Midwest.

Snyder, who directed the Kansas State program from 1988 to 2005, brought the Wildcats their greatest seasons of gridiron glory. But at age 69, the task of rebuilding a struggling team may prove overwhelming.

With a minimum of prep talent sandwiched between Oklahoma and Nebraska, KSU must look to high school powerhouses such as Texas, Florida and California to supplement the pool. During Snyder’s previous tenure, he often enticed players from the Lone Star State to don purple and play in the Little Apple. But his former Texas pipeline may have dried to a trickle.

Since Kansas State’s all-time victory leader with 136 wins and 11 bowl appearances departed, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Baylor have made recruiting inroads in Texas. The Red Raiders seldom make the nation’s top 25 on signing day, but Mike Leach consistently fields a winning team using Lone Star talent almost exclusively.

OSU’s Mike Gundy also generates strong support from high school coaches and players south of the Red River, and the Cowboys have significantly upgraded their facilities in recent years. Art Briles has even turned Baylor, the Big XII’s perennial doormat, into a competitive team, and the Bears dedicated a new $45 million practice facility last spring.

Junior college signees and other transfers could prove Snyder’s salvation. The Wildcats received a major boost in early June when former South Florida quarterback Grant Gregory enrolled at KSU and will be eligible for the 2009 season. The former Ohio prep star spent the last three seasons as a backup with the Bulls.

Kansas State partisans won't wait long for a return to respectability. If Snyder can't provide it quickly, another Wildcat housecleaning awaits.
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About John Hillman

John Hillman graduated from Baylor University in 1974 with a BBA in accounting and earned an MBA from Baylor in 1987. He worked for accounting firms until 1982 when he became the chief financial officer for an independent insurance claims adjusting service, a position he still holds today. ...
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