Kansas State coach Bill Snyder will have a unique coaching opportunity after the announcement his grandson, linebacker Tate Snyder, has accepted a scholarship offer from the Wildcats.
Tate Snyder, a 205-pounder who led Manhattan High School in tackles and was an All-State selection at linebacker, plans to play the position on his grandfather's team.
He will follow in the footsteps of his father, Sean Snyder, who was an All-American punter for his father in the early 1990s. Sean Snyder is now Kansas State's associate athletic director and associate head coach for football operations and development.
"Not many people have had the opportunity to coach their son and their grandson, so I think I will enjoy that immensely," Bill Snyder said. "It will be fun, but probably not for him (Tate), but I will never get tired of it."
The veteran coach said he learned some lessons coaching his son that will help him coaching his grandson.
"I've talked to a lot of coaches who have coached their sons and so many of them said to not coach your son and I didn’t want that to be true," Bill Snyder said. "The inclination is that most people would view you to be easier on you son or grandson. But my nature would be to go the other way and that is exactly what I did with Sean.”
Tate Snyder told the Manhattan Mercury that he hopes to add more weight to boost his chances of playing for the Wildcats.
"Size is a big deal. They want me to put on 5 or 10 more pounds so I can be at 215," Tate Snyder said to the Mercury. "They've talked about me a little at will (weakside linebacker) and (Kansas State co-defensive coordinator) Coach (Chris) Cosh has talked about it a bit, but I know nothing is guaranteed."
The chance to work with the Kansas State strength and conditioning program should help him get bigger and prepare him for his opportunity with the Wildcats, he said.
"I'm exited to work out and go through the program," he said. "I've seen guys go in and a few weeks later they've just exploded with 15 pounds, but I just want to take the program in and get stronger."