Snyder to Leave California for Arizona State

After coaching California to a No. 8 finish in national rankings this season, Bruce Snyder is resigning to accept a position at Arizona State, Cal’s athletic director said Saturday.

Snyder’s decision appeared to be based on financial considerations, athletic director Bob Bockrath said in a statement. Snyder reportedly was offered more than $500,000 a year in a multiyear, incentive-laden contract. It is roughly three times his salary at California.

He was not accepting calls Saturday, according to sources, and Arizona State had yet to comment on the situation. The announcement came from Cal.

“I believe Bruce would have liked to stay with the program he has helped build and the players he has helped recruit, but we could not approach a salary that was offered him,” Bockrath said.

“He made the decision on what he felt was best for him and his family and we accept that,” he said.

Arizona State Athletic Director Charles Harris met with Snyder and Stanford Coach Dennis Green in separate interviews at a hotel at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday, according to a report in the Arizona Republic.

Snyder was Arizona State’s first choice. Green apparently was not offered the job.

Kevin Reneau, sports information director at California, declined to comment on California’s negotiations to retain Snyder, but he said talks had been ongoing.

Bockrath said the school was aware for some time that Snyder might leave.

“The good thing about our situation is that we’re in an enviable position with a program that is considered one of the top 10 in the nation,” he said.

Snyder, 51, led the Golden Bears to a 10-2 record in his fifth season. Cal beat Clemson in the Florida Citrus Bowl, 37-13, in the Golden Bears’ first New Year’s Day performance since 1959.

In five seasons at Cal, Snyder compiled a 30-24-4 record and coached the Bears to their first back-to-back goal appearances. Last year Cal, after a 6-4-1 season, defeated Wyoming, 17-15, in the Copper Bowl in Tucson.

Snyder replaces Larry Marmie, who was fired Nov. 27 at the end of a 6-5 season after four years as head coach.

Snyder was scheduled to depart this morning for Honolulu, where he will coach in the Hula Bowl all-star game next weekend.

Marmie reportedly was paid $400,000 a year, more than twice Snyder’s salary at California.

Snyder was named Pacific 10 Conference coach of year in 1990. He also was head coach for the West teams in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Japan Bowl in 1990.

Snyder, a native of Santa Monica, came to Cal from the Rams, where he was the offensive backfield coach and running game coordinator under former coach John Robinson.

He also was head coach at Utah State from 1976-82.