Snyder becomes #039;D#039; man
Published 12:00 am Friday, January 9, 2004
COLUMBUS - As a player and a coach, Mark Snyder has had nothing but success on the defensive side of the football.
Now, Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel wants that success to continue at a higher level after naming Snyder the Buckeyes new co-defensive coordinator along with safeties coach Mel Tucker.
Tressel announced Thursday that Snyder and Tucker were being elevated to fill the void left after former defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio was recently named the new head coach at the University of Cincinnati.
"I was a bit humbled that coach Tressel thought I had the ability to lead this defense in this great state and at Ohio State and continue this tradition," Snyder said.
"I remember growing up and listening to the Ohio State band (on tape) every night at Ironton in the pregame. Hearing the band play here really touched me the first year I coached. Now, the first year being defensive coordinator here, it's going to be exciting again."
Two weeks ago Snyder reportedly turned down an offer from coach Lou Holtz to be the South Carolina defensive coordinator.
"I did have some conversations, but I'm here with Tressel," Snyder said.
Although the Buckeyes have relied on their defense the past two seasons, they allowed 63 points in their final two games as they lost 35-21 to Michigan and beat Kansas State 35-28.
Snyder, 38, will have to rebuild the defense, which loses six starters and several key backups.
"We did not play as well against that team up north (Michigan) as we should have," Snyder said. "We had the luxury of watching Kansas State against Oklahoma. It was a good lesson for us to learn the way they dismantled Oklahoma. Once we got the big lead, we didn't gamble as much as we did early in the game."
Sharing the job with Tucker is no problem for Snyder who said coaching is a team effort just like playing the game.
"I'm excited. I feel like I'm ready. I've been in those positions before. We're a staff. We do things together," Snyder said.
Although the defensive coordinator will be new, Snyder said there are not plans to overhaul a defensive philosophy that has made the Buckeyes one of the nation's most dominant teams the past two seasons.
"We're not going to change much. What we did really good we'll keep doing, and what we did good we'll try to do better. We lost a lot of good seniors and good leadership on our staff. We all have to step up," Snyder said after overseeing the players weight room workout.
"I told the players that we can't win any games right now, but we can lose them in the weight room. While they're getting better (lifting), we as a staff have to figure out how we can get better."
Snyder began his defensive prowess as an All-American defensive back for the Marshall Thundering Herd. His 10 interceptions in 1987 not only set a Southern Conference single season record but was a new record for the Herd.
After graduating in 1988, Snyder became a student assistant the next fall, then took a job as a graduate assistant the next two years at Central Florida.
The Ironton native came back to Ohio in 1991 as the outside linebackers coach for Tressel at Youngstown State. Three years later, he was given the added duties of special teams coordinator and moved from outside linebackers coach to inside.
During his tenure at Youngstown State, the Penguins won three NCAA Division I-AA national championships and played in four consecutive title games.
Snyder's stint at Youngstown ended the next season as he accepted the position of defensive ends coach at Minnesota.
The Gophers defense twice set school records for sacks in a single season and averaged 40.7 sacks during his three-year stint in Minnesota.
While with the Gophers, Snyder helped develop defensive end Lamanzer Williams, the national sacks leader in 1997, and Karon Riley, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2000.
When Tressel was named the Ohio State head football coach in 2001, he lured Snyder to his staff once again as the linebackers coach.
Snyder completed his third season with the Ohio State staff that saw him coach first team All-American linebackers Matt Wilhelm and Cie Bryant and help the Buckeyes win the national championship last season, the school's first since 1968.
Snyder made an impact in high school as a quarterback and defensive back. He was All-Ohio his senior year as Ironton went 12-1 and finished as Division III state runners-up.
He originally signed with Morehead State, but later transferred to Marshall where he helped the Herd to the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA national runner-up spot.
Mark and his wife Beth, also a native of Ironton and a graduate of the University of Kentucky, have three daughters: Chelsea, 11, Lindsay, 10, and Shaylee, 2.
"My time in Ironton was important to my success," Snyder said. "Everyone in Ironton from the coaches to the fans helped mold me. They've touched me and helped make me who I am, and I'm thankful to them."
Luke Fickell, a four-year letterman for the Buckeyes at nose guard between 1992 and 1996, will take over as linebackers coach. Fickell has been special teams coordinator since the 2002 season.
Tucker will continue to coach the Buckeyes' secondary.