Inside Bill Snyder's Office - View 2
The Sunflower State has always held a special spot in Bill Snyder's heart.
Snyder spent most of his youth growing up in Saint Joseph, Missouri; he attended college in Missouri and New Mexico; and he had coaching stops in Texas, California and Iowa. But he fondly recalls the time he lived for a year in Salina, Kansas, in a duplex on the edge of town. A picture on his wall helps stoke those warmhearted memories of a simpler time when swimming was the most important thing in his life.
"I've always thought of Kansas as home because of my time in Salina," Snyder said. "We were right on the edge of town and the Air Force base was a half mile away. They had this gigantic swimming pool that has since been filled in, but it was gargantuan. I used to get a kick out of going there. I'd walk there and swim all day and then if I didn't get home on time, my mother and father would be right there at the fence telling me to get out of the pool and 'Let's go.' I'd go home and get a spanking for not getting there in time, but I've always loved swimming and can never forget that pool in Salina."
That love of swimming developed in Salina actually led him to one of his first college coaching opportunities. In 1974, Snyder became the offensive coordinator and head swimming coach at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
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