Abilene Christian Wildcats

Former Wildcat Assistant Considers Possible Return As Head Coach

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:16 a.m. ET

Fansided, Stan Unruh/FanSided via Jug of Snyder

One day Kansas State coach Bill Snyder will retire as head football coach of the Wildcats. It’s not going to happen anytime soon. Who will follow the legend is pure speculation

One former Wildcat assistant coach is planning ahead for the day Snyder does retire..

I have read and heard a number of names mentioned as possible candidates to take over when the 77-year-old Snyder decides it is time to let someone take over.

When Les Miles was dismissed at LSU this season, some fans in Manhattan thought he might want the job. Miles is a former Oklahoma State head coach.

Some believed Jerry Kill was the coach in waiting when he named Associated Athletic Director at Kansas State. Kill decided he wanted the offensive coordinator job at Rutgers.

A football recruit reported on social media recently Wildcat Associate Head Coach –Special Teams coordinator Sean Snyder was definitely the man expected to get the promotion one day.

Another former Kansas State assistant is thinking about the job enough to include it in his new contract.

Sixty-year-old Jim Leavitt played and worked as an assistant coach at Mizzou before Bill Snyder hired him at Kansas State in 1990, according to his bio from the University of Oregon.

Leavitt coached the Wildcat linebackers and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator during his six seasons in Manhattan.

Leavitt, the former head coach at University of South Florida worked as the defensive coordinator at the University of Colorado this season.

He was also an assistant on Jim Harbaugh’s staff with the NFL’s 49ers.

In December Leavitt joined Willie Taggart’s staff at the University of Oregon.

As the Duck’s defensive coordinator Levitt will receive over $1 Million a year. No assistant in the Pac-12 will be paid more.

Andrew Greif reported in the Portland Oregonian this week that part of Leavitt’s contract includes a statement about Kansas State University’s head football coaching position.

You may remember Lou Holtz contract at the University of Minnesota included a clause that allowed him to leave if Notre Dame needed a head coach. They did and he did.

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Will Leavitt ever return to Kansas State?

Will his controversial firing, after allegations of player mistreatment at the University of South Florida, prevent him from ever becoming a head coach again?

Leavitt has a lot of work to do with the Duck’s defense first and Bill Snyder has a Big 12 title contender set for 2017.