By Riley Gates, Sports Radio 810 WHB
Leading up to the annual Catbacker Tour event in Overland Park, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder joined Kevin Kietzman on Between the Lines on Thursday afternoon.
Snyder joined Kietzman while at KU Medical Center to undergo some more treatments for the throat cancer that he was diagnosed with awhile back. Snyder told Kietzman that he was doing well with his health.
“I feel fine,” Snyder said. “I just had some more testing here at KU Med Center. But everything is going quite well. …I’m still going through the, whatever that is, aftermath of the treatment. It gets better day-in and day-out. It’s all going well.”
Throughout his career, Snyder has said that he has given more day-to-day work to his assistant coaches, such as his son Sean Snyder.
Snyder said that as of now, he does not plan to further take more work off of his plate, but believes that down the line that could happen.
“Not at this particular point in time,” Snyder said. “I think there’s a plan in place, regardless of what the situation is, at least in my eyes there is. I shared with our staff, but nothing has really changed. I’ve been in the office every day since all of this has taken place.”
With his health looming over the program, there have been speculations as to whether or not Snyder will coach K-State in 2017, or if he will retire.
The speculation of coaching grew louder after the K-State spring game, when Snyder coached the second half of the game from the press box, rather than on the sideline.
Snyder said that it was something he has done more than just the spring game and he has no intentions of coaching the 2017 season from the press box.
“I’m not going to be in the press box, I don’t think,” Snyder said. “In fact, I’m pretty certain I won’t and won’t allow myself to be. I spent half of the time on the field in the spring game and half of the time in the press box. I did the same during spring practice.
“…You get better and better as you go through it. If I laid in bed all the time, I probably wouldn’t, but that’s not what I do.”
Also asked of Snyder, was a buzzing topic regarding player transfers.
On Wednesday, K-State wide receiver Corey Sutton took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with the coaching staff at K-State. Sutton, who announced his intention to transfer from K-State in early May, has not yet been released of his scholarship.
Sutton tweeted three times Wednesday about the matter.
Sutton’s first tweet said: “Can you stop being a slave master and give me my release.” A second tweet read “Y’all have no idea, student athletes stay quiet, covering everyone’s tail.” The final tweet said “I worked way way way way too hard for this to let a man stop me.
When asked about the situation with Sutton, Snyder responded with what his policy on player transfers has always been.
“I’ve always said a youngster is free to leave, but I’m not going to release the youngster,” Snyder said. “It doesn’t mean he can’t go someplace else and play, he can certainly do that. He wouldn’t be on athletic scholarship for a year’s period of time, but could still go and play and then go on scholarship after that. That’s a choice they have to make.”
Snyder also spoke about the quarterback position at K-State.
With experienced quarterback Jesse Ertz expected to return at the Wildcats’ starter, there is a lot of potential and expectations being placed on Ertz and the offense.
Despite an injury to his shoulder last season, Snyder said that Ertz is back to throwing the ball and is doing so well.
“It’s not rocket science to figure it out,” Snyder said. “He’s probably the guy that’s going to get on the field first, and that’s a true statement. He’s coming back from some injuries, but he’s throwing now and throwing quite well.”
The full interview with Snyder can be found at 810whb.com in the podcasts section, by clicking on “Between the Lines.”