MANHATTAN, Kan. – Jon Fabris, who tutored two of Kansas State’s best defensive units in school history in 1997 and 1998, has returned to Manhattan as an assistant coach to work with the defensive ends, while Blake Seiler will coach the linebackers while also being promoted to assistant defensive coordinator, head coach Bill Snyder announced today.

“Jon is a quality person, dedicated husband and father as well as a dedicated leader and teacher of young men,” Snyder said. “He has a proven record here at Kansas State. He will again be an asset to our defense and to Sean with our special teams. I’m pleased to have him back with us.”

Fabris (pronounced FAB-riss), who has more than 30 years of experience as a coach, has coached in 12 total bowl games in stops at Indiana (2012-13), Georgia (2001-09), Georgia Tech (1980), Washington State (1982-86), Iowa State (1987-1994), Notre Dame (1995-96), K-State (1997-98) and South Carolina (1999). He also spent time with the Cleveland Browns (2000) as well as Northwest Mississippi Community College (2011). In his 12 seasons coaching defensive ends at Georgia, South Carolina and Kansas State, 15 of his players earned spots on NFL regular season rosters.

While at K-State during the ultra-successful 1997 and 1998 seasons, Fabris helped the Wildcat defensive ends and the entire unit rank among the best in the nation. In 1998, K-State was third in the country in total defense and tied for sixth nationally in scoring defense. The Wildcats, led by All-Big 12 and All-American Darren Howard, finished fourth in the nation in total defense, sixth in scoring defense and second in sacks the previous campaign. He also played a key role in the Wildcats’ success on special teams in his two seasons.

At Georgia, Fabris mentored one of the most decorated players in Bulldog history, David Pollack. In 2004, Pollack was named a first team All-American for the third-straight time, SEC Player of the Year for the second time and captured several of the nation’s most prestigious defensive awards: the Rotary Lombardi Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Ted Hendricks Award (second-straight year) and the Ronnie Lott Trophy.

Fabris, who was recognized by Sporting News as the best position coach in the SEC in 2009 and one of the top 20 national recruiters by Rivals in 2008, helped Charles Grant (2001), Pollack (2002-04), Quentin Moses (2005), Charles Johnson (2006) and JustinHouston (2009) earn All-SEC honors, while Marcus Howard was voted the 2008 Sugar Bowl MVP.
Seiler is entering his fifth year as a full-time coach at K-State and his ninth season overall on the staff. A Wildcat defensive end from 2003-06, Seiler tutored a pair of All-Americans in Jordan Willis (2016) and Ryan Mueller (2013). Willis ranked 12^th nationally and tops in the Big 12 in sacks last season en route to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Under the direction of Seiler, Willis left K-State ranked third in school history and tied for seventh in Big 12 history with 26.0 sacks.

“Blake has worked diligently with our defense these past four seasons and certainly helped develop several very productive players,” Snyder added. “He has a broad and distinct understanding of our defense and will be a great asset to Tom Hayes in the development of our entire defense.”
Mueller, a former walk-on just like Seiler, earned two-straight First Team All-Big 12 honors as a junior and senior, while he was the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2013 and a Second Team All-American that season as he tied the school record with 11.5 sacks.

Prior to becoming a full-time coach, Seiler was a quality control coach in 2009-10 and a graduate assistant in 2011 and 2012. He graduated from K-State with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2007 and obtained his MBA from Wichita State in 2010.

Tickets for the 2017 Purple/White Spring Game are on sale for $5 through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum. The game will be shown world-wide on K-StateHD.TV and can be heard across the K-State Sports Network.

K-State opens the 2017 campaign on Saturday, September 2, with the ninth-annual K-State Family Reunion against Central Arkansas. Following a contest against Charlotte on September 9, the Wildcats travel to Nashville, Tennessee, to take on SEC foe Vanderbilt on September 16. K-State opens Big 12 play at home on September 30, with a matchup against Baylor.

The priority deadline for season-ticket purchases is Friday, April 21. A limited number of single-game tickets go on sale online only on June 20. All seven home games in 2017 are anticipated to sell out quickly and extend the Bill Snyder Family Stadium sellout streak to 40 games.

– k-statesports.com –

RYAN LACKEY

Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics
Football | Men’s and Women’s Golf

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior guard Wesley Iwundu captured three team awards, including a repeat of his Rolando Blackman Most Valuable Player honors, as Kansas State held its annual men’s basketball banquet Monday night at the Hilton Garden Inn.

In addition to his MVP award, Iwundu was selected as the Tex Winter Top Offensive Player and shared the Ed Nealy Most Improved Player with fellow senior D.J. Johnson.

An All-Big 12 Third Team selection for the second consecutive season, Iwundu led the Wildcats in 15 categories, including scoring (13.0 ppg.), double-digit scoring games (26), field goals made (151), free throws made (122), free throw percentage (76.7), double-doubles (5) and rebounding (6.3 rpg.). The first Wildcat in school history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals in a career, he joined Mitch Richmond (1987-88) as the only players in school history to tally 400+ points, 200+ rebounds, and 100+ assists in a single season.

Johnson also picked up the Ernie Barrett Play Hard Award, which goes annually to the single-season leader on the Wayne McClain Play Hard Chart and tracks deflections/blocks, steals, dives, loose balls, offensive rebounds and charges. An All-Big 12 honorable mention selection, Johnson became the first Wildcat to lead the Big 12 in field goal percentage (62.3) to go with averages of 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He finished as the career leader in field goal percentage at 59.5 percent.

Fellow seniors Austin Budke, Carlbe Ervin II and Zach Winter also picked up one award each.

Budke earned the Keith Amerson Academic Award for the second consecutive season after being selected to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team and to the College Sports Information Director of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 7 First Team. He was also the only men’s basketball player in the Big 12 to be selected for the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, which is the league’s highest academic honor.

Ervin won the Porky Morgan Most Inspirational Player Award, which is the program’s oldest award and honors the longtime K-State Athletics Trainer from 1950-80. A key reserve who saw action in all 35 games, Ervin connected on 48.5 percent from the field, including 39.1 percent from 3-point range, and hit on 72 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 2.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Winter was selected for the Fort Riley Never Broken Award, which is given annually to commemorate the partnership with the 1^stBattalion, 7^th Field Artillery unit stationed at Fort Riley. One of five players named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, he was named to the First Team along with Budke, Iwundu and fellow walk-on Mason Schoen. He saw action in 29 career games, including 15 in 2016-17.

Other award winners included Barry Brown (Jack Hartman Top Defensive Player), Xavier Sneed (Dean Harris Newcomer of the Year), Kamau Stokes (Bob Boozer Courage Award) and Dean Wade (Mitch Richmond Mr. Basketball).

Given annually to the team’s top defensive player, Brown was routinely assigned to the opponent’s top offensive threat. He set the school’s single-season record for steals with 82 in 2016-17, ranking seventh nationally in total steals and 11th in steals per game. He also ranked second in the Big 12 in steals, including a league-best 45 in conference-only play. Overall, he ranked among the Top 5 on the team in 20 categories.

The team’s top reserve, Sneed, was selected as the Dean Harris Newcomer of the Year, which honors the late East St. Louis, Illinois, native, who tragically died in 1974. The freshman, also from St. Louis, led all reserves at 18.3 minutes per game, while averaging 7.1 points on 42.9 percent shooting, including 33.9 percent from 3-point range. He ranked among the Top 5 in 7 categories, while scoring in double figures on 12 occasions.

Stokes was chosen for the Bob Boozer Courage Award for the second consecutive season after rebounding from a season-ending injury as a freshman to become one of the team’s performers. He ranked among the Top 5 on the team in 21 categories, including placing first in 3-point field goals made (64), assists (4.1 apg.), starts (35) and minutes played (1,165). He also ranked second in scoring (11.7 ppg.) and double-digit scoring games (25), while he dished out the eighth-most assists (145) in a single season and most since 2012-13.

Wade earned the Mitch Richmond Mr. Basketball Award after ranking among the team leaders in 23 categories, including first in 20-point games (3) and starts (35) and second in 3-point field goal percentage (40.2) and blocked shots (0.7 bpg.). He scored in double figures in 17 games, including 11 times in Big 12 play, while posting a career-tying 20 points twice against Kansas and in a huge road win at TCU on March 1.

2016-17 Kansas State Men’s Basketball Team Awards:

Fort Riley Never Broken Award: Zach Winter

Ernie Barrett Play Hard Award: D.J. Johnson

Keith Amerson Academic Award: Austin Budke

Dean Harris Newcomer of the Year Award: Xavier Sneed

Bob Boozer Courage Award: Kamau Stokes

Porky Morgan Most Inspirational Award: Carlbe Ervin II

Ed Nealy Most Improved Award: D.J. Johnson/Wesley Iwundu

Jack Hartman Top Defensive Player Award: Barry Brown

Tex Winter Top Offensive Player Award: Wesley Iwundu

Mitch Richmond Mr. Basketball Award: Dean Wade

Rolando Blackman Most Valuable Player Award: Wesley Iwundu

–www.k-statesports.com–

TOM GILBERT
Associate Director for Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics