Welcome to snyder kicking!
After a remarkable 28 years of coaching college football, I am thrilled to announce a new chapter in my coaching journey, Snyder Kicking! Join us as we embark on this new adventure of coaching kickers, punters, and snappers. Together, we will strive for excellence, unlock potential, and shape the future of special teams. Don’t miss this opportunity to receive top-notch coaching and guidance from a seasoned expert.
- KANSAS STATE RING OF HONOR
- KANSAS STATE HALL OF FAME
- 2012 FINALIST FOR FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
- 2013 FINALIST FOR FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
- 2014 FINALIST FOR FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
- 2015 FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
- 2015 PHIL STEELE SPECIAL TEAMS COORDONATOR OF THE YEAR
- 2015 SEMI-FINALIST BROYLES AWARD FINALIST
- 2017 SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
- 2015, 2017, (2020 USC) SPECIAL TEAMS FINISHED #1 IN THE COUNTRY
31 all conference
11 all americans
1 lou Groza Winner
3 Lou Groza runner-up
3 Lou Groza semifinalist
6 ray guy candidates
1 ray guy semifinalist
1 campbell trophy semifinalist
2 manelly award finalist
COACH SEAN SNYDER BIO
Snyder, an experienced college football coach for more than 28 years, spent the 2022 season as the special teams coordinator/specialists coach at Illinois. Snyder spent the previous two seasons as the special teams coordinator at USC.
Snyder spent more than two decades at Kansas State, where he served as special teams coordinator/associate head coach from 2011-18 and special teams analyst in 2019 before moving to USC.
Snyder began his career at Kansas State as a part-time assistant coach in 1994 and 1995, then served as director of football operations from 1996 to 1998, assistant athletic director for football operations in 1999 and 2000, associate athletic director in 2001 and senior associate athletic director from 2002 to 2010. He then moved into his role working with the program’s special teams.
During his tenure, Kansas State ranked in the Top 15 of the ESPN Special Teams Efficiency rating five times, including first in 2017, second in 2015 and third in 2012. The Wildcats also were in the Top 25 of the Football Outsiders Special Teams Rating six times since 2011, including first in 2017, third in 2014 and 2019 and sixth in 2012. Snyder was named the national Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2015 by FootballScoop and Phil Steele and in 2017 by Phil Steele.
In 2020, USC’s special teams were ranked No. 1 nationally by Football Outsider and the Trojans were in the national Top 25 in NCAA statistics in kickoff return defense (10th at 17.0) and net punting (25th at 40.8). True freshman Parker Lewis was 20th nationally in field goals (1.6), Gary Bryant Jr. (also a true freshman) was 22nd in kickoff returns (26.2), Ben Griffith’s 46.4 punting average was the highest by a Trojan since 2003 and snapper Damon Johnson was a Mannelly Award finalist.
Under Snyder, Kansas State’s special teams units set or tied eight team records and 20 individual marks. He coached four Big 12 Special Teams Players of the Year, including three consecutive (returners Tyler Lockett in 2013 and 2014, Morgan Burns in 2015 and Joshua Youngblood in 2019). Lockett, who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks, was an All-American first team kickoff returner in 2011 and punt returner in 2014. Burns earned All-American first team honors in 2015 as a kick returner when he led the country in kickoff return touchdowns (4). Youngblood was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2019 when he ran back 3 kickoffs for TDs and helped Kansas State top the nation in kickoff return average (29.5).
Placekicker Matthew McCrane was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2014 and All-Big 12 first team pick in 2017, while kicker Jack Cantele made the All-Big 12 first team in 2015. Kick returner Byron Pringle was All-Big 12 first team in 2016 and returner D.J. Reed was so honored in 2017.
Snyder was a consensus All-American and All-Big Eight first team punter under his father, Bill Snyder, at Kansas State as a senior in 1992, averaging 44.7 yards per punt. He was the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a 1991 junior, with a 40.5 punting average. His 43.0 career punting average was a school record. He played in the 1992 Blue-Gray Game. He was inducted into Kansas State’s inaugural Ring of Honor Class in 2002 and into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
Snyder redshirted at Iowa in 1988, then saw action in two games for the Hawkeyes as a redshirt freshman in 1989 before transferring to Kansas State. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State in money and banking in 1994.
Snyder signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1993 and the San Diego Chargers in 1994. He and his wife Wanda raised a daughter Katherine and sons Tate and Matthew. They have five grandchildren: Katherine and her husband Colton have three kids, DJ, Declan, and Murphy, and Tate and his wife Nikki have two children, Pearce and Presley.
Caleb Griffen
illinois
- 2022 Honorable mention All-Big 10 Coaches
Ben Griffiths
USC
- 2021 Pac 12 honorable mention All-Conference
- 2021 Pro football focus All-Pac 12 1st team
- 2021 Phil Steele All-Pac 12 4th team
- USC Special Teams Player of the year and Co-Captain
Damon Johnson
long snapper
USC
- 2020 Finalist for the Manelly award
- 2020 Phil Steele All-American 2nd team
- 2020 Phil Steele All-Pac 12 1st team
- 2021 Finalist for the Manelly Award
- 2021 Phil Steele All-American 2nd team
- 2021 Phil Steele All-Pac 12 1st team
blake lynch
kicker
kansas state
- 2018 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
devin anctil
punter
kansas state
- 2018 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
matthew mccrane
kicker
kansas state
- The school’s all-time leader in career field goals made (57), passing Martin Gramatica (55; 1994-95, 1997-98)
- school record for career field goal percentage (86.4 percent),
- school record for extra point percentage of 99.3 percent
- tied the school record for career 50-yard field goals made (5).
- 2015 Honorable Mention All-Big 12
- 2015 Earned Honorable Mention All-America
- 2014 Honorable Mention All-America
- 2014 Freshman All-America
- Honorable Mention All-Big 12
nick walsh
punter
kansas state
- 2017 Second Team All-Big 12 (Coaches, Associated Press, Phil Steele)
- 2016 Earned All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele
- 2016 Ray Guy Award candidate
- 2016 Burlsworth Trophy candidate
- 2015 Picked up Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades
- 2015 Preseason candidate for the Ray Guy Award
jack cantele
kicker
kansas state
- 2015 First Team All-Big 12 coaches
- 2015 Honorable Mention Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year.
mark krause
punter
kansas state
- 2013 Ray Guy Award (Candidate)
anthony cantele
Kicker
kansas state
- 2012 Lou Groza Award (Semifinalist)
- 2012 Second Team All-Big 12 (Coaches, Associated Press)
- 2012 Honorable Mention All-America (Sports Illustrated)
- 2011 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Associated Press).
RyAN DOERR
PUNTER
kansas state
- 2012 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches, Associated Press)
- 2011 Ray Guy Award (Candidate)
- 2010 Third Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele).
josh cherry
kicker
kansas state
- 2010 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
corey adams
long snapper
kansas state
- 2010 1st Team All-American (Phil Steele)
- 2010 Campbell Trophy (Semifinalist)
- 2009 K-State’s Special Teams Player of the Year.
tim reyer
punter
kansas state
- 2007 First Team All-Big 12 (Coaches, Associated Press, Rivals.com, Kansas City Star)
- 2007 Ray Guy Award (Semifinalist)
- 2006 Ray Guy Award (Candidate)
- 2005 Ray Guy Award (Candidate)
- 2004 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
jeff snodgrass
kicker
kansas state
- 2006 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
joe rheem
kicker
kansas state
- 2004 Second Team All-Big 12 (Dallas Morning News)
- 2004 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches, Associated Press)
- 2004 Lou Groza Award (Semifinalist)
- 2003 Third Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
jared brite
punter
kansas state
- 2003 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
- 2003 K-State’s Special Teams MVP of the year
travis brown
punter
kansas state
- 2002 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Associated Press)
jamie rheem
kicker
kansas state
- 2000 Lou Groza Award (Runner Up)
- 2000 First Team All-American (AFCA, Football News)
- 2000 Second Team All-American (Rivals.com)
- 2000 Third Team All-American (The Sporting News)
- 2000 First Team All-Big 12 (Coaches, Associated Press, Dallas Morning News)
- 1999 Lou Groza Award (Runner Up)
- 1999 Unanimous First Team All-Big 12 Kicker.
- 1999 Third Team All-American (Football News, Sporting News).
martin gramatica
kicker
kansas state- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1998 Lou Groza Award (Runner Up)
- 1998 First Team All-American (Walter Camp, AFCA)
- 1998 Second Team All-American (The Sporting News)
- 1998 Unanimous First Team All-Big 12
- 1997 Lou Groza Award (Winner)
- 1997 First Team All-American (Associated Press, FWAA and The Sporting News)
- 1997 Unanimous First Team All-Big 12
james garcia
punter
kansas state
- 1997 Second Team All-Big 12 (Kansas City Star)
- 1997 Third Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
player
1991 DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
1991 HONORABLE MENTION ALL BIG 8
1992 CONSENSUS 1ST TEAM ALL AMERICAN
1992 1ST TEAM KODAK ALL AMERICAN
1992 1ST TEAM AP ALL AMERICAN
1992 1ST TEAM ATHLONS ALL AMERICAN
1992 UNANIMOUS 1ST TEAM ALL BIG 8
1993 PHOENIX CARDINALS
1994 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
KANSAS STATE RING OF HONOR
KANSAS STATE HALL OF FAME
Coach
2012 FINALIST FOR FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
2013 FINALIST FOR FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
2014 FINALIST FOR FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
2015 FOOTBALL SCOOP SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
2015 PHIL STEELE SPECIAL TEAMS COORDONATOR OF THE YEAR
2015 SEMI-FINALIST BROYLES AWARD FINALIST
2017 SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR
2015, 2017, (2020 USC) SPECIAL TEAMS FINISHED #1 IN THE COUNTRY