Emory University head volleyball coach Jenny McDowell has announced the appointment of Eric Snyder as assistant coach. Snyder will begin his duties on March 15.
Snyder joins the Eagles' program after a two-year stint (2011 & 2012) as the head volleyball coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Snyder compiled a two-year record of 44-20 overall and 14-4 in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). He led the Bears to an ECAC Division III New England Championship and a share of the NEWMAC regular season championship with a record of 26-6 overall and 8-1 in conference play in 2011.
Snyder has an extensive background in volleyball, with other head coaching stops at the University of Mary (ND) in 2009 and Stonehill College (MA) during the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. While at Stonehill, he led the Skyhawks to a 21-11 record in 2008, the first time that program broke the 20-win barrier since 1997, and a two-year record of 31-31. For his efforts, Snyder was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Thirty Under 30 Award List, an award that honors thirty of the up-and-coming coaches under 30 years of age in volleyball at all levels of the game. In 2010, Snyder was an assistant coach women's coach at Division II Bentley College and an assistant men's coach at nationally ranked Division III Emmanuel.
"We hit the jackpot with Eric Snyder, he is one of the finest coaches in the country," said McDowell. "Eric is a great coach, great recruiter and a great man. I have known him for a few years and have been impressed with his work ethic, passion and love of the game. I am looking forward to working side by side with Eric as we continue to make the Emory Volleyball program the perfect destination for the finest student-athletes in the country."
A 2004 graduate of Southern New Hampshire University, where Snyder served as an assistant volleyball coach during his undergraduate years, he was a graduate assistant volleyball coach at Tiffin (Ohio) University and an assistant coach on the NCAA Division I South Alabama Jaguars staff in 2006. He obtained his master's degree in business administration from Tiffin in 2006 and holds his bachelor's degree in sport management/business administration.