Bruce Snyder
Encyclopedia
Bruce Snyder was an American football
player and coach. After playing for Oregon
in the early 1960s as a fullback
, Snyder embarked on a coaching career. He was the head coach
at Utah State University
(1976–1982), University of California, Berkeley
(1987–1991), and Arizona State University
(1992–2000), compiling a record of 125–106–6 at the three schools.
Snyder's 58 wins and nine-year tenure as head coach at Arizona State each rank second in school history to marks set by Frank Kush
, who coached the Sun Devils from 1958 to 1979 and won 173 games. Snyder led ASU to four bowl game
s including a win in the 1997 Sun Bowl
. More than 40 ASU players coached by Snyder were selected in the NFL Draft
, including seven in the first round, and more than 40 others signed free agent contracts in the NFL
. After his stint at Arizona State, Snyder assisted long-time friend John Robinson at UNLV
for one season in 2003. He also served under Robinson as an assistant coach from 1983 to 1986 for the NFL's Los Angeles Rams.
Snyder was twice named Pac-10 Coach of the Year, in 1990 with Cal and in 1996 with Arizona State. He is a member of the Arizona State Hall of Fame. His best Sun Devil team was the 1996 unit. Wth Jake Plummer
at quarterback, Snyder led ASU to an 11–1 record. The Sun Devils opened the season by stunning the top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers
. Arizona State reeled off the third undefeated regular season in school history en route 1997 Rose Bowl
, where they came within 19 seconds of a victory over Ohio State
. Had they won, the Sun Devils would have likely won at least a share of the national championship
, as they would have been the only undefeated team in the nation. For his efforts that season, Snyder won a number of national coaching awards, including the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award.
Snyder was diagnosed with Stage IV
melanoma
in June 2008. He died less than a year later on April 13, 2009, at his home in Phoenix
, survived by his wife and three daughters.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. After playing for Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
in the early 1960s as a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, Snyder embarked on a coaching career. He was the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
(1976–1982), University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(1987–1991), and Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
(1992–2000), compiling a record of 125–106–6 at the three schools.
Snyder's 58 wins and nine-year tenure as head coach at Arizona State each rank second in school history to marks set by Frank Kush
Frank Kush
Frank Joseph Kush is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Arizona State University from 1958 to 1979, compiling a record of 176–54–1...
, who coached the Sun Devils from 1958 to 1979 and won 173 games. Snyder led ASU to four bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s including a win in the 1997 Sun Bowl
1997 Sun Bowl
The 1997 Norwest Sun Bowl featured the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Arizona State Sun Devils.After a scoreless first quarter, Arizona State scored first, with a 35 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Steve Campbell to wide receiver Lenzie Jackson to give ASU an early 7-0 lead...
. More than 40 ASU players coached by Snyder were selected in the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, including seven in the first round, and more than 40 others signed free agent contracts in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. After his stint at Arizona State, Snyder assisted long-time friend John Robinson at UNLV
UNLV Rebels football
The UNLV Rebels football program is a college football team that represents the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association...
for one season in 2003. He also served under Robinson as an assistant coach from 1983 to 1986 for the NFL's Los Angeles Rams.
Snyder was twice named Pac-10 Coach of the Year, in 1990 with Cal and in 1996 with Arizona State. He is a member of the Arizona State Hall of Fame. His best Sun Devil team was the 1996 unit. Wth Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
at quarterback, Snyder led ASU to an 11–1 record. The Sun Devils opened the season by stunning the top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers
1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1996 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
. Arizona State reeled off the third undefeated regular season in school history en route 1997 Rose Bowl
1997 Rose Bowl
The 1997 Rose Bowl Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference and the Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten Conference, held on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game resulted in a dramatic 20–17...
, where they came within 19 seconds of a victory over Ohio State
1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1996 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1996-1997. The team's head football coach was John Cooper. The Buckeyes played their home games in Ohio Stadium. The team finished the season with a win-loss record of 11 and 1, and...
. Had they won, the Sun Devils would have likely won at least a share of the national championship
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
, as they would have been the only undefeated team in the nation. For his efforts that season, Snyder won a number of national coaching awards, including the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award.
Snyder was diagnosed with Stage IV
Cancer staging
The stage of a cancer is a description of the extent the cancer has spread. The stage often takes into account the size of a tumor, how deeply it has penetrated, whether it has invaded adjacent organs, how many lymph nodes it has metastasized to , and whether it has spread to distant organs...
melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
in June 2008. He died less than a year later on April 13, 2009, at his home in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, survived by his wife and three daughters.