Varsity Athletics

At a news conference at 4 p.m. on November 20, President Mark H. Collier announces the appointment of John Snell with the following statement:

"You probably are aware that at Baldwin-Wallace College we don’t change our football coaches too frequently…. About every 20 to 25 years or so it seems. So, when Bob Packard told us late last January of his decision to retire after 34 years at B-W--including 21 seasons as head coach-- we all agreed that it was in the best interest of the College and in keeping with normal College policy to conduct a national search to identify the finest person we could find to work with our students and lead our football program for the foreseeable future.

Coach John Snell

Because of the timing of that announcement, we also agreed to conduct that search at the end of this 2002 season. Coach John Snell, a 1987 graduate of B-W, who had been on our football staff for seven years, was asked (and agreed) to assume the position on an interim basis. I have to tell you that we still believe in the importance of national searches to fill significant positions at our college. But, I also have to tell you that over the past ten months it has been truly amazing to watch John work with our students, with his colleagues, with alumni and with staff members all across our campus. We knew that John was an outstanding person, an excellent recruiter and a fine football coach, but every bit as impressive to those of us who’ve watched him has been his performance working off the field on the learning and personal growth of our student-athletes.

At this point it is inconceivable to us that a national search would be in the best interests of anyone involved in that process and, more importantly,  that it would yield a better person and coach to work with our students and lead our football program than John Snell.

So, this afternoon I am announcing that we have suspended this national search. I also am delighted to introduce the head football coach at Baldwin-Wallace College… John Snell."