Published: November 30, 2009 01:06 am      

Snyder out at Marshall

Coach resigns after five seasons; Minter interim coach at possible bowl

Mark Snyder resigned as Marshall’s football coach Sunday, putting to an end five tumultuous seasons in which he went a combined 22-37.

His career came to a close Saturday with a 52-21 blowout loss to UTEP, which had won three games going in.

“I met with Mike Hamrick (Director of Athletics) extensively today and we discussed our football program,” Snyder said in a release. “I feel that it was in the best interest of our program for me to announce my intent to resign my position.

“It has been an honor to be the coach here and I will always be appreciative of the opportunity my university gave me.”

Rumors of a potential firing — which had been erroneously reported by ESPN and a coaching Web site earlier Sunday — had circulated for weeks and persisted even after the Herd’s 34-31 win over SMU Nov. 21. The win made the team bowl eligible for the first time under Snyder, a 1988 Marshall graduate who holds the school’s record for interceptions in a single season with 10.

“I met with him this afternoon and we talked about the program and where we want it to go and how that fits the big picture of the athletic program,” Hamrick said in a phone interview. “Not to get into details, but Mark felt like the best thing to do was to resign, and I accepted his resignation.

“Mark cares deeply about Marshall University. He just felt his best interest and the interest of the program was to resign.”

Snyder and Hamrick met with the team Sunday afternoon, after Snyder’s resignation.

Hamrick, Marshall’s AD since August, said all contractual obligations will be extended to Snyder. He was under contract until June 30, 2013. Based on an annual salary of $149,968, Snyder is owed $524,888, although the contract states he would receive that compensation in the event he is fired.

It is also stipulated in the contract that if Snyder resigns before its expiration, and accepts a coaching position at another school within 30 days, he must pay the school $700,000.

Snyder has been rumored to be in line for the head coaching position at Youngstown State, where coach Jon Heacock is resigning after nine seasons. Snyder was an assistant at Youngstown under current Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel from 1991-96.

“When Mark and I started the conversation, we said that we will honor all of our contractual obligations,” Hamrick said. “That is the right thing to do.”

Despite Saturday’s debacle in El Paso, Marshall might still be bowl bound. The EagleBank Bowl in Washington, D.C., is set to pit Army against the eighth seed from the ACC. However, Duke’s loss to Wake Forest on Saturday means the ACC will be unable to fulfill its obligation.

Army currently has five wins and does not play until Dec. 12 against Navy.

All assistant coaches are still with the team, Hamrick said. He also said that if Marshall receives a bowl invitation, defensive coordinator Rick Minter will serve as the interim head coach.

Minter, in his second year at Marshall, spent 10 seasons as the head coach at Cincinnati when it was a member of Conference USA. He led the Bearcats to four bowl games, including a 25-14 loss to Marshall in the 2000 Motor City Bowl.

“We are still uncertain about a bowl game,” Hamrick said. “Things could or could not work out. If we do go to a bowl game, we will do everything we possibly can to make the position go smoothly (for Minter).”

Hamrick said the search for a new head coach will begin immediately. He anticipates receiving word from the agents and publicists of interested candidates within the next two to three days.

Beyond that, Hamrick said he will not comment on the search.

“Every athletic department has a wish list, and we certainly have that,” he said. “But to protect the integrity, I will not be commenting.”

He said a coach will be hired “as soon as possible.” National letter-of-intent signing day for junior college players is Dec. 16, while the regular signing period will begin Feb. 3.

Snyder was hired April 14, 2005, to replace Bob Pruett, the Beckley native who coached at Marshall for nine seasons. Excitement that a Marshall alumnus who was an Ohio State assistant died quickly after the Herd lost a heartbreaker to Kansas State in Snyder’s second game.

Marshall finished 4-7 that season. That was followed by records of 5-7 in 2006, 3-9 in ’07 (including losses in the first seven games), 4-8 in 2008 and 6-6 so far this season.

— E-mail: gfauber@

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