FootballScoop is proud to announce that Sean Snyder is the 2015 FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year presented by ProGrass.
Kansas State's special teams are consistently excellent, and 2015 was no exception.
The Wildcats survived the loss of return dynamo Tyler Lockett and thrived again in the return game. K-State finished sixth nationally in punt returns, averaging 27.48 yards on 42 returns, with a nation-leading four touchdowns.
Kansas State also took a punt back for a touchdown, making them one of only two FBS teams to notch at least five kick or punt return scores.
Snyder's unit was also excellent at covering kicks, ranking 10th in opponent kickoff returns while not allowing a kickoff or punt to be returned for a touchdown. The Wildcats also excelled at opponent punting, ranking ninth nationally with a 38.31 net average.
Kicker Jack Cantele knocked in 12-of-14 field goals, good for 11th nationally, and as a team K-State successfully converted 16-of-18 tries to rank fourth in the country while also hitting all 42 PAT attempts.
Kansas State blocked three kicks, good for 22nd in FBS.
Kickoff and punt returner Morgan Burns, faced with the task of replacing Lockett, was named the Big 12's Special Teams Player of the Year, and Cantele earned a spot as the Big 12's First Team kicker. Punter Nick Walsh was an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 performer.
K-State head coach Bill Snyder (Sean's father) praised not only his son's special teams work, but his global approach to benefitting the Wildcats' football program: “If there’s anybody that would be here earlier in the morning or stay later at night, that would be (Sean). All of our coaches work extremely hard, but Sean’s got so much on his plate. Aside from dealing with the special teams, as he does with coordinating all of that, just virtually anything and everything that takes place — our interaction with the administration goes through Sean, our interaction with our strength development arena, our nutritional arena, with our medical aspect, with the equipment aspect, with our video aspect, game day operations that takes place — he handles all of that."
This fall marked Snyder's fifth season as K-State's associate head coach, special teams coordinator and director of football operations, but his 21st overall with the program - primarily as the team's DFO. A First Team All-Big 8 selection in 1992, Snyder played for the Phoenix Cardinals and San Diego Chargers before returning to Manhattan in 1994.
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by ProGrass are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Jay Boulware [Oklahoma], Ed Foley [Temple], Kelly Poppinga [BYU] and Snyder) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
Snyder will receive his award and be recognized at an event at the AFCA Convention in January.
Previous winners of the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year award are James Shibest (Ole Miss, 2008), Mike Tolleson (Texas, 2009), Joe Robinson (LSU, 2010), John Baxter (USC, 2011), D.J. Durkin (Florida, 2012), Jeff Ulbrich (UCLA, 2013) and Robby Discher (Oklahoma State, 2014).
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