Bill Snyder is 77 years old and already retired once. It's fair to wonder when the Hall of Famer will step down. And that was before the Corey Sutton transfer debacle.
There have been zero whispers of Snyder retiring or being forced out at Kansas State because of his role in blocking Sutton's transfer and (possible) breach of student privacy laws by revealing Sutton failed multiple drug tests.
MORE: Ranking the Top 100 Teams in College Football for 2017
Nonetheless, it's a worthwhile discussion in the coming weeks as Snyder prepares for his 26th year as head coach and (ninth since returning in 2009). In the event he does retire after the season, who might replace him?
Here are some guesses.
[divider]
Sean Snyder
Current Position: Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator, Kansas State
The list could start and end with Bill Snyder's son, Sean Snyder.
A former Wildcats' punter and longtime assistant (1994-present), Snyder was dubbed the future K-State by 2017 recruit Anthony Payne last September. Though Payne walked back on his proclamation, it's possible he was told not to worry about Snyder retiring.
Sean Snyder is the overwhelming favorite if Kansas State wants minimal change.
[divider]
Jerry Kill
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator, Rutgers
The former Minnesota coach who stepped down in mid-2015 due to health issues is from Kansas, has a relationship with Snyder and spent part of 2016 as an associate athletics director at the school overseeing the football program.
Fourteen months after saying he'd never coach again, Kill accepted the offensive coordinator position at Rutgers. Kill will be on the short list for a slew of head coaching opportunities — if he stays healthy and is interested.
[divider]
Gary Patterson
Current Position: Head Coach, TCU
Like Kill, Gary Patterson is a Kansas native who slowly rose the ranks to Power Five head coach. Would he leave the comforts of TCU for his alma mater?
Only Patterson, who began his coaching career at a grad assistant at K-Sate in 1982, knows that.
[divider]
Jim Leavitt
Current Position: Defensive Coordinator, Oregon
Bill Snyder deserves all the credit for turning around the most miserable program in college football. His assistants, especially those at the beginning, also deserve a huge hat tip.
Jim Leavitt was an intern under Snyder at Iowa in 1988 before joining him in Manhattan in 1990 as linebackers coach. He rose to defensive coordinator before leaving for the South Florida job in 1996.
After turning around a Colorado defense in just two years, he's at Oregon and his head coaching stock is on the rise. One deterrent? Leavitt is 60 years old; K-State might want someone younger who can lead the program for more than a decade.
[divider]
Joe Moorhead
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator, Penn State
Jim Moorhead is the wild card. The Penn State offensive coordinator has no strong ties to Snyder or Kansas State and has said he loves his job in State College.
The former Fordham quarterback went 38-13 as Rams' head coach from 2012-15 before jumping to Penn State last year, where he led the Big Ten's third-ranked offense.
