For the fifth time in his career, Kansas State’s Bill Snyder has been named national coach of the year as the legendary head coach earned the prestigious 2012 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award Monday, the foundation announced during halftime of the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The annual Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year presented by the Chick-fil-A Bowl winner is determined by a vote from all previous winners of the award, plus a vote from a blue-ribbon panel made up from the “who’s who” in college football.

“The entire K-State family congratulates Coach Snyder on being named the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year,” said Athletics Director John Currie. “What makes this award even more special is its focus on character and academic excellence, in addition to a team’s success on the field, and Coach Snyder is the epitome of those values.”

Predicted to finish sixth in the Big 12 prior to the season, the Wildcats tallied an 11-1 record, including an 8-1 mark in Big 12 play to capture the school’s third conference championship and first since 2003. Snyder guided Kansas State to its seventh 11-win season, but only the second 11-win regular season (1998).

In addition being named the 2012 Big 12 Coach of the Year by both the Associated Press and his fellow coaches, Snyder was also named a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award for the second straight season as well as being a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Coach of the Year Award. The legendary coach was also the 1998 recipient of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.

Snyder led K-State to a school-record six wins against ranked opponents in 2012, including its conference-championship clinching victory over No. 18 Texas. Additionally, the Wildcats obtained their first-ever No. 1 ranking the BCS standings earlier this year.

Named the 32nd head football coach at K-State on November 30, 1988, and again as the 34th on November 24, 2008, Snyder has amassed a 170-84-1 (.669) record during his tenure with the Wildcats, including an 97-65-1 (.598) mark in Big 8/12 games. His 170 victories are the 11th-most among active FBS coaches and are more than triple the man in second place on K-State’s all-time coaching victories list.

The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Division 1 football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd’s teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

The formal presentation of the 2012 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award presented by the Chick-fil-A Bowl to Coach Snyder will be made on the Kansas State University campus later this spring.

No. 5 Kansas State faces fourth-ranked Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) in the 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 3, in Glendale, Ariz. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (CT) at University of Phoenix Stadium and will be televised by ESPN.

— KSU Sports Information —

Leave it to the kid from suburban Kansas City to help Kansas State finish off a banner day for the college hoops programs that the city calls its own.

Will Spradling had the best game of his career with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists, and the Wildcats upended No. 8 Florida 67-61 on Saturday night. Their win followed No. 9 Kansas’ victory over No. 7 Ohio State and No. 12 Missouri’s win over No. 10 Illinois earlier in the day.

”Whenever you’re shooting it well – you see the ball go through the net – it brings confidence to you and for your team as well,” said Spradling, a junior guard from Overland Park, Kan. ”This is probably my best all-around performance that I’ve had.”

No doubt.

Spradling didn’t even commit a turnover in 39 minutes.

Rodney McGruder added 13 points and Jordan Henriquez had nine points and five blocks for the Wildcats (9-2), who watched a 10-point halftime lead evaporate before clamping down against one of the nation’s top defensive teams and then pulling away in the final minutes.

”We were in tune with one another. We wanted this game,” McGruder said. ”Our preparation for Florida was great, tremendous. The past couple practices guys were getting after one another.”

Patric Young had 19 points for the Gators (8-2), including two with just over 2 minutes left that got them within 58-55. But that’s when Shane Southwell knocked down a 3 from the corner, and McGruder made two free throws with 1:05 left to create some breathing room.

Kansas State held on from the foul line for its first regular-season, non-conference win over a top 10 team since defeating No. 8 Minnesota on Dec. 21, 1981.

”They were just a step ahead of us, a step quicker. We were late,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. ”We let Spradling get loose several times on 3-point shots. We gave up some offensive rebounds. We had just a couple plays there where we were just late on some things.”

Kenny Boynton and Scott Wilbekin scored 11 each for the Gators, whose only other loss came at then-No. 8 Arizona. Leading scorer Mike Rosario was held to five points on 1-of-9 shooting.

The Wildcats have been struggling in new coach Bruce Weber’s motion offense, and it showed in sloppy, lackluster losses to No. 2 Michigan and No. 14 Gonzaga. But they finally managed to get it clicking just enough against one of the nation’s premier defenses.

”Just a heck of an effort by our guys,” Weber said. ”The thing I challenged them with is we had to compete for 40 minutes, just to give ourselves a chance. Against Michigan, against Gonzaga, we only competed for 20.”

It was defense that ruled this one from the start.

Kansas State built an early lead by turning over Florida twice in the opening minutes, and the Gators responded with a 9-2 surge in which they twice scored off turnovers in transition.

Kansas State eventually settled down on offense.

McGruder’s basket with just under 5 minutes left made it 26-19, and after the Gators’ Michael Frazier curled in a 3-pointer for his only basket, Kansas State rattled off seven more points that helped it take a 33-23 lead into the break.

The lead was built on the Wildcats out-defending the nation’s No. 1 defense.

”Our guards made some very poor plays in the first half in terms of our ball movement,” Donovan said. ”We were very insistent on driving the ball and taking runners and floaters in the lane. … We had guys open all over the place. All we had to do was make the extra pass.”

Florida started to make that extra pass early in the second half.

The Gators scored on their first six trips down the floor and put together a 12-3 run that allowed them to wipe out almost the entire deficit. Boynton’s 3 with 13:10 left drew them even at 41-all, the closest they’d been since leading 19-17 midway through the first half.

”I just said, ‘We’ve been here before,”’ Weber said. ”You get a point where the other team comes at you and do you lay down or do you step up?”

The Wildcats kept stepping up.

Rosario’s first basket, a 3-pointer with 10:42 left, was matched by McGruder’s jumper. A bucket by Wilbekin was matched by a 3-pointer from Kansas State’s Martavious Irving, and slowly the Wildcats extended the lead back to 57-47 with 5:20 left.

Things were going so well for Kansas State that Henriquez, who had been 2 for 19 from the foul line, stepped up and calmly knocked down four straight free throws.

”When I hit those four in a row, it felt good,” he said. ”I felt good.”

It was a feel-good night all-around for the Wildcats.

They wound up shooting 41.7 percent from the field against a team that had been holding opponents to 49.6 points per game. The Wildcats also ended up with a 36-27 advantage on the glass and committed just 10 turnovers against the Gators’ intense man-to-man defense.

”This was a great win for our team, great win for our staff, a great win for our league,” Weber said. ”This was a great win for us.”

— Associated Press —

Rodney McGruder scored 26 points and Thomas Gipson added 14 points and 12 rebounds as Kansas State defeated Texas Southern 78-69 on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats (8-2) could never shake the Tigers (1-10), who trailed by just six points with 1:13 remaining. But four free throws in the final 35 seconds protected Kansas State’s lead.

Ray Penn had 24 points for Texas Southern, and Omar Strong and Madarious Gibbs added 13 points each.

A 7-0 run by the Wildcats — five of the points were by McGruder — gave them a 46-36 lead with 15:03 remaining. It was the first double-digit advantage of the game.

The lead grew to 53-38 with 12 minutes to play. But Texas Southern went on a 10-2 spurt that included 3-pointers by Penn and Gibbs.

With 7:40 left, Texas Southern trailed 55-48 and hung in until the final minute.

— Associated Press —

For the second straight year, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder has been named a finalist for the Marathon Oil Corporation Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, the American Heart Association announced today.

Joining Snyder as 2012 Coach of the Year finalists are James Franklin, Vanderbilt; Urban Meyer, Ohio State; Bill O’Brien, Penn State; David Shaw, Stanford and Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M.

The 27th annual event slated to take place on Thursday, January 17, in Houston, Texas, will bring together the nation’s top performing college coaches and sports enthusiasts to raise funds for heart disease in the name of Paul “Bear” Bryant.

In addition being named the 2012 Big 12 Coach of the Year by both the Associated Press and his fellow coaches, Snyder was also named a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award for the second straight season as well as being a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Coach of the Year Award.

Predicted to finish sixth in the Big 12 prior to the season, the Wildcats tallied an 11-1 record, including an 8-1 mark in Big 12 play to capture the school’s third conference championship and first since 2003. Snyder guided Kansas State to its seventh 11-win season, but only the second 11-win regular season (1998).

Snyder led K-State to a school-record six wins against ranked opponents in 2012, including its conference-championship clinching victory over No. 18 Texas. Additionally, the Wildcats obtained their first-ever No. 1 ranking the BCS standings earlier this year.

Named the 32nd head football coach at K-State on November 30, 1988, and again as the 34th on November 24, 2008, Snyder has amassed a 170-84-1 (.669) record during his tenure with the Wildcats, including an 97-65-1 (.598) mark in Big 8/12 games. His 170 victories are the 11th-most among active FBS coaches and are more than triple the man in second place on K-State’s all-time coaching victories list.

No. 5 Kansas State faces fourth-ranked Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) in the 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 3, in Glendale, Ariz. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (CT) at University of Phoenix Stadium and will be televised by ESPN.

— KSU Sports Information —

Anytime he got the chance, Kelly Olynyk’s intent was to dunk.

That’s a significant change from a couple of years ago when Gonzaga’s 7-footer was content to hang around the perimeter and shoot from the outside rather than imposing his size down low.

”He’s a smart player, one that can hurt you in a lot of different ways passing, driving and scoring,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. ”I think that’s probably the biggest thing – he went from a guy who loved to just play out there on the perimeter to a guy who is 7-feet tall and can use those skills down low.”

Olynyk dominated inside with 20 points and No. 14 Gonzaga rebounded from its first loss of the season with an impressive 68-52 win over Kansas State on Saturday night.

Making their annual trip to Seattle, Olynyk and the Bulldogs (10-1) controlled the interior and wore down the Wildcats in the second half. Olynyk’s highlight was a rattling, one-handed slam with about 9 minutes left that drew a technical foul for screaming, but also gave the Bulldogs a 14-point lead.

That was one of four dunks from Gonzaga’s rapidly improving center that helped the Bulldogs outscore Kansas State 38-12 in the paint.

”I just had that mentality today to dunk everything,” Olynyk said.

Gary Bell Jr. added 11 points for Gonzaga, which played before its extensive fan base in the Puget Sound region for the 10th straight year and improved to 6-4 in the event. It was a chance for the Bulldogs to erase the disappointment of their last outing a week earlier when defensive lapses and a red-hot Brandon Paul keyed Illinois’ 85-74 victory that snapped the best start to a season in Gonzaga history.

There was no lingering hangover from the loss. Olynyk made 10 of 13 shots, falling just short of matching his career high of 22 points when he fouled out with 4:56 left. Even more impressive for Gonzaga was its domination inside without getting a big game from Elias Harris, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

While the balance Gonzaga had offensively, with seven players scoring at least five points, was extremely important, defense was the focus most of the week after the Bulldogs allowed too many open looks against Illinois.

”I didn’t think we were going to go undefeated this year playing the schedule we have but we needed to get back to who we are on the defensive end,” Few said. ”We were there tonight. I’m not going to make any proclamations, but we got back to getting our feet under us and guarding the way we need to guard to be successful.”

Angel Rodriguez led Kansas State (7-2) with 14 points, but leading scorer Rodney McGruder had a miserable night. McGruder didn’t score for the first 30 minutes and finished with four points.

McGruder, who came in averaging 12.9 points, shot 1 for 9 from the floor.

”That’s about as good a defense I’ve seen a Gonzaga team play,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. ”They locked in on Rodney. We probably didn’t screen as well as we need to do to help him get open, but he’s also got to shoot open shots when he has opportunities.”

After using Guy Landry Edi on McGruder for most of the first half, the Bulldogs stuck Mike Hart on the Wildcats’ scoring leader to start the second half. He was immediately flustered, committing turnovers on Kansas State’s first two possessions, and Gonzaga started the half on a 9-0 run to take a 36-26 lead with 16:28 left.

Kansas State briefly stemmed the run, but Edi’s 3-pointer with 12 minutes left pushed the lead to a dozen and Olynyk’s dunk that drew the technical capped another 11-2 spurt by the Bulldogs.

The 3-point shooting that kept Kansas State hanging around in the first half disappeared during the final 20 minutes. The Wildcats shot 1 of 6 on 3-point attempts in the second half. Rodriguez had only two points after the break and Gonzaga’s lead reached 21 in the final minutes.

Gonzaga plays one more non-conference game before Christmas, then closes out the year with games against Baylor and at Oklahoma State before starting West Coast Conference play.

”Guys responded. They responded to this crowd, to playing over here,” Few said. ”It means a lot to a lot of them to play good over here.”

— Associated Press —

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein and linebacker Arthur Brown added to their postseason honors Thursday as both were named Walter Camp All-Americans, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced at The Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

Klein and Brown, who were named to the second team, picked up All-American honors from the foundation for the first time in their careers. They became the ninth and 10th Wildcat players to pick up Walter Camp accolades overall, while K-State has had four in the last two years as Tyler Lockett was a first-team kick returner and Nigel Malone was a second-team defensive back last season.

A product of Loveland, Colo., Klein has also been named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year by both the Associated Press and league’s coaches in addition to being named the 2012 Johnny Unitas Award winner. While leading K-State to the third conference championship in school history, Klein rushed for 22 touchdowns to rank second nationally and first among quarterbacks, while he accounted for 37 touchdowns this season. The senior, who has rushed for 890 yards, has completed 180-of-272 passes for 2,490 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Brown, a native of Wichita, Kan., has led the Wildcats in tackles this season with 91 – a year after 101 stops – with six tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches, Brown’s picks came in consecutive weeks as he ended West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith’s then-NCAA record for consecutive passes without an interception before returning a pick for a score to seal a victory over Texas Tech. With nine tackles against Oregon in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Brown would become the first Wildcat defender since Josh Buhl (2002 and 2003) to tally 100 or more stops in consecutive seasons.

Fifth-ranked Kansas State will take on No. 4 Oregon in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, January 3, 2013, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game, which will be televised by ESPN, kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (CT).

— KSU Sports Information —

For the third time in his career, Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder has been selected as the Associated Press Big 12 Coach of the Year, the organization announced Tuesday. Snyder, the unanimous choice for this year’s award, became the second three-time honoree in conference history after earning the nod in 1998 and 2011.

In addition to his accolade from the AP, Snyder was also named a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award for the second-straight season. He is one of 10 finalists for this year’s award, which was announced this morning at the National Football Foundation (NFF) press conference in New York.

Predicted to finish sixth in the Big 12 prior to the season, the Wildcats tallied an 11-1 record, including an 8-1 mark in Big 12 play to capture the school’s third conference championship and first since 2003. Snyder guided Kansas State to its seventh 11-win season, but only the second 11-win regular season (1998).

Snyder, who is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the Maxwell Coach of the Year Award, led K-State to a school-record six wins against ranked opponents in 2012, including its conference-championship clinching victory over No. 18 Texas on Saturday. Additionally, the Wildcats obtained their first-ever No. 1 ranking the BCS standings earlier this year.

Named the 32nd head football coach at K-State on November 30, 1988, and again as the 34th on November 24, 2008, Snyder has amassed a 170-84-1 (.669) record during his tenure with the Wildcats, including an 97-65-1 (.598) mark in Big 8/12 games. His 170 victories are the 11th-most among active FBS coaches and are more than triple the man in second place on K-State’s all-time coaching victories list.

Fan voting for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year is open at www.CoachOfTheYear.com and will continue through December 20. Fans’ votes account for 20 percent of a coach’s final score, which will also include votes cast by national college football media and College Hall of Fame players and coaches.  The winner will be announced January 7, in South Florida before the BCS Championship Game.

No. 5 Kansas State faces fourth-ranked Oregon (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) in the 2013 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 3, in Glendale, Ariz. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (CT) at University of Phoenix Stadium and will be televised by ESPN.

— KSU Sports Information —

In the midst of one of the greatest seasons in school history, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was named the recipient of the 2012 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the award’s foundation announced today.

Klein is the first Wildcat to pick up the honor and the fifth from the Big 8/12 since the award’s inception in 1987. The Loveland, Colo., product earned K-State’s first major college football award since Terence Newman won the 2002 Jim Thorpe Award.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” said Klein. “Anyone that is familiar with the game of football recognizes that name. I’m just happy to represent Kansas State, our team and what we’ve been able to accomplish this season.”

The 2012 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award will be presented to Klein on Friday at the 2012 award celebration held at The Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Hotel in Baltimore, Md.

“Collin is not just a tremendous athlete and leader on the field, but an MVP off the field as well, who repeatedly has been recognized for his numerous contributions to the community and to the spirit of sportsmanship” says John C. Unitas, Jr., President of The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation. “Collin joins a prestigious list of top quarterbacks who embody the characteristics that made Johnny Unitas such an enduring legend, including many who have gone on to illustrious careers in the NFL.”

Klein guided Kansas State to its third conference championship and first since 2003 with a 42-24 victory over No. 18 Texas Saturday. In that contest, Klein rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing for 184 and another touchdown on 8-of-14 aim.

Along with 26 other seniors, Klein has led the Wildcats to their seventh 11-win season in school history and second BCS bowl berth as the Wildcats will play in the 42nd Annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The Loveland, Colo., product has accounted for 37 touchdowns this year to rank 11th nationally in touchdown responsibility, while he is tied for second nationally and tops among quarterbacks with 22 rushing touchdowns. He is the only quarterback from a BCS AQ school in the BCS era to rush for at least 20 touchdowns and pass for at least 10 touchdowns in multiple seasons.

In 12 games this year, Klein has completed 180-of-272 passes for 2,490 yards and 15 touchdowns while totaling 890 rushing yards on 194 attempts. He ranks eighth in school history in passing yardage and 10th in touchdowns, while he is tied for tied for seventh in completions. Additionally, his current season pass efficiency rating of 156.12 ranks third in school history, while he is tied for second in rushing touchdowns behind his school-record 27 scores last season.

As a player who will go down as one of the best in K-State history as both a passer and runner, Klein ranks in the top 10 in school history in rushing touchdowns (1st; 55), touchdown responsibility (1st; 84), scoring (2nd; 336), total yards (3rd; 7,028), passing efficiency (3rd; 141.05), rushing attempts (3rd; 588), rushing yards (5th; 2,455), completions (5th, 353), passing touchdowns (t6th; 29), passing yards (7th; 4,573) and pass attempts (8th; 572). His 55 rushing touchdowns also rank fourth in Big 12 history and second among quarterbacks.

Named after the man many refer to as the greatest quarterback ever to play the game of football, the prestigious Golden Arm Award is presented annually by the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc. and Transamerica.

Candidates for the Golden Arm Award must be completing their college eligibility or be a fourth-year junior on schedule to graduate with his class. Candidates are judged upon character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and athletic accomplishments. Other 2012 finalists included Matt Barkley (USC), E.J. Manuel (Florida State), A.J. McCarron (Alabama) and Geno Smith (West Virginia).

Established in 1987, the award previously has been presented to 25 outstanding young men. Past winners include Peyton Manning (Tennessee, 1997), Carson Palmer (USC, 2002), Eli Manning (Ole Miss, 2003), Brady Quinn (Notre Dame, 2006), Matt Ryan (Boston College, 2007), Colt McCoy (Texas, 2009) and most recently Andrew Luck (Stanford, 2011).

No. 5 Kansas State will take on fourth-ranked Oregon in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, January 3, 2013, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The game, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (CT), will be televised by ESPN.

— KSU Sports Information —