[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN HONOR OF COACH BRUCE SNYDER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HARRY E. MITCHELL

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exemplary 
and inspirational life of Coach Bruce Snyder. Diagnosed with cancer 
just last year, Coach Snyder passed away early in the morning on 
Monday, April 13, 2009. He was 69 years old.
  Coach Snyder will always be remembered for his many successes as the 
head football coach at Arizona State University from 1992-2000, and 
before that at the University of California. Under his leadership, the 
Sun Devils won 58 games and made four bowl appearances. More than 40 of 
Coach Snyder's players were drafted into the NFL, and he produced over 
100 All-Pac-10 honorees.
  ASU alumni the world over remember the magical 1996 season. Bruce 
Snyder coached the Sun Devils to one of their best seasons in history, 
going 11-1, upsetting many highly ranked championship teams, and coming 
heartbreakingly close to a NCAA national championship. He was named 
Coach of the Year, an honor that could not have been more appropriate.
  Coach Snyder's time at ASU is incredibly impressive, and has 
certainly left a lasting impression on me. But the ultimate record of 
his work lies in the positive and lasting impact he has made upon the 
hearts and minds of the people he touched. Players, family and friends 
recall Coach Snyder as a man of tremendous personal integrity, culture 
and caring for those around him. He imparted life lessons on his 
players that went far beyond the field. As one former player so aptly 
put it upon learning of Coach Snyder's passing, ``He was a good coach, 
but a better man.''
  Madam Speaker, please join me and Bruce's wife and children in 
mourning the loss and honoring the legacy of Bruce Snyder.

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