10/13- Snider Promoted to Baseball Associate Head Coach
Updated: October 13, 2008
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb announced the promotion of Eric Snider to the position of associate head coach on Monday. Snider is in his 11th year on the Fighting Illini coaching staff and has helped produce some of the best offensive and defensive teams in school history during his tenure. Snider handles hitting instruction and third-base coaching duties, works with the Illinois infielders and outfielders, is instrumental in recruiting, directs the off-season conditioning program and places players in summer leagues around the country.
"Eric does an incredible job handling all that is asked of him and is very deserving of this promotion," Hartleb said. "I always know that we will be strong as a team because of the number of things he coordinates on a daily basis. He is a very important part of our program both on and off the field, and the continuity he helps give our staff has an enormous impact not only on our current team but also on the recruiting trail."
Snider recruited and helped develop three of the four highest-drafted position players in Illinois history in catcher Chris Robinson (third round, 2005 MLB Draft), catcher Lars Davis (third round, 2007) and center fielder Kyle Hudson (fourth round, 2008). He also recruited and coached Big Ten Players of the Year center fielder Drew Davidson (2005) and Davis (2007), and All-Americans Davidson, Davis and Hudson. In addition, he has brought in four Freshman All-Americans in first baseman Andy Schutzenhofer (2000), Davidson (2002), shortstop Eric Eymann (2003) and left fielder Casey McMurray (2008).
"It is an honor to be named associate head coach," Snider said. "Im thankful to Itch Jones for the opportunity he gave me to join the staff in 1999, and it has been great working with all the coaches and players we have had in our program over the past 10 years. Were going to continue to build our team with quality student-athletes who can compete not only in the Big Ten Conference but also on a national level."
Snider guided the Fighting Illini offense to one of the best batting averages in school history (.335) in 2008 despite losing three of the top hitters from the 2007 squad to graduation or the MLB First-Year Player Draft, and has coached the squad to averages over .300 in eight of his 10 seasons. He also has led the defense to fielding percentages of .960 or better in nine of his 10 years and marks over .965 in six campaigns. In addition, his 2008 offense broke school records for hits, runs, RBIs, doubles and walks in a Big Ten season, and fell just three stolen bases short of that record.
Snider also is a key figure in the Illinois running game, guiding four Illini to base-stealing seasons that rank in the schools top 10: Hudsons 40 steals in 2008 (tied for school record), Shawn Roofs 40 in 2007 (tied for school record), Ryan Rogowskis 31 in 2005 and Roofs 25 in 2006. He has guided the Orange and Blue to top-25 national rankings in stolen bases per game in each of the past two seasons.
In all, he has recruited and coached 31 All-Big Ten selections and nine first-team All-Big Ten selections. Eighteen of the position players he has recruited and coached signed professionally, including nine since 2005. Of the 13 former Illini currently playing professionally, Snider recruited and coached 11, including shortstop Chris Basak, who reached the Major Leagues with the New York Yankees in 2007.
Prior to coming to Illinois, Snider was the head coach and general manager of the Waterloo Bucks, a summer collegiate team in the Northwoods League, from 1995-98, twice being named NWL Manger of the Year while compiling a 163-90 record. He was named to the NWL All-Decade Team in 2004.
He served as an assistant coach at Austin Peay for three seasons from 1992-95 and had a two-year stint as the manager of the Champaign County Colts from 1992-93. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa from 1990-92.
A two-year letterwinner at Northern Iowa, Snider finished his playing career with a .411 batting average and 69-of-72 stolen bases on his way to being named a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection. He transferred to UNI after being named a junior college All-American shortstop at Kirkwood Community College.
