Reports surfaced in recent days about Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder being treated for an undisclosed medical condition.
On Monday, Snyder announced he has been diagnosed with throat cancer but does not plan to step aside from his coaching duties as he combats it.
“I have been diagnosed with throat cancer and have been receiving outpatient treatment at the KU Medical Center for about three weeks and am getting along very well,” Snyder announced in a lengthy statement released by Kansas State’s athletics department. “The doctors and staffs at both KU Med and M.D. Anderson (in Houston, Texas) have been great; working so very well together to finalize the overall treatment plan which is being conducted in Kansas City. Both ‘teams’ have projected a positive outcome and have worked out a schedule that allows me to be in Kansas City for my regular treatments and still be back in the office on a regular basis through the first week of March.”
Doctors working on Snyder say his prognosis is excellent and Snyder should be in the clear to coach the Wildcats in spring football practices next month.
Everything about the statement from Snyder was pure Snyder, as he opened by apologizing for having to share this information in this way before letting a number of people closer to him personally know what was happening. Would you expect anything less?
At 77 years of age, any medical concern attached to Snyder raises some obvious questions about his future as Kansas State’s head coach, but you have to respect how Snyder isn’t going to let throat cancer interfere with his love of coaching. This is not unprecedented of course. In 2014, former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer underwent surgery on his throat in early December and went on to coach the Hokies in their bowl game.