Table of Contents
1 Growing up in St. Joseph, Missouri 1
2 Special Years with Hayden Fry 18
3 Coming to Manhattan 29
4 Building the Foundation 36
5 The First Step 48
6 Early Climb 64
7 First Ever Bowl Victory 82
8 16 Wildcat Goals for Success 93
9 The Next Step 105
10 Pinocchio 128
11 Michael Bishop and the Dual-Threat Quarterbacks 133
12 First 11-Win Season 145
13 1998 161
14 Continuing to Climb 184
15 Building a Champion Step by Step 205
16 Handwritten Notes with Meaning 226
17 Stepping Down 231
18 Importance of Mentorship 246
19 The Return 253
20 Building Another Champion 271
21 The Close of Another Chapter 288
22 Coaching Philosophies 306
23 College Football Hall of Fame 318
24 Beating Cancer 329
25 Final Stepdown 344
26 The Snyder Family 353
Appendix: Career and Personal Achievements 365
Acknowledgments 369