Published: November 30, 2009 11:54 pm      

Snyder couldn’t get Herd over hump

“We are just coming up a little short.”

n n n

Mark Snyder used those words in describing Marshall’s 2009 season after a 27-20 loss to Southern Miss back on Nov. 14. In a way, that was a microcosm of his Marshall career. There were several instances when the Thundering Herd played well but fell just shy of winning.

It happened 22 times, in fact. In Snyder’s five seasons at Marshall, 22 games were decided by seven points or less.

The Herd was 8-14 in such instances.

That, to me, is the most telling aspect of Snyder’s tenure, which came to an end Sunday with his resignation. Try as he might, Snyder could not get this team over a hump that might as well have been Mount Everest.

On the surface, flipping that 8-14 to 14-8 would still only change Snyder’s overall record to 28-31 — much more respectable than the actual 22-37, but sub-.500 nonetheless.

But think of the effect on the players’ “mojo” (his word, not mine) had they been able to win some of those close games. The 21-19 loss to Kansas State in 2005 and the dry heave-inducing 21-20 loss at UCF one month ago today come immediately to mind.

That’s all in the past now. Things didn’t work out for Snyder, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is a good person. He was always good to me, which I will always appreciate.

Now it’s time to wish him luck and move on.

Moving on, of course, means focusing on Snyder’s successor. Athletic director Mike Hamrick said every athletic department has its wish list to fill any coaching vacancy, and Herd fans certainly have not fallen short in letting their preferences be known.

From BCS to non-BCS, offensive coordinator to defensive coordinator, the names run from every level of college football, seemingly without end.

Some fans want Bud Foster, the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech. The Hokies have consistently had a top-5 defense with Foster calling the plays. And, with Memphis hiring Larry Foster as its new head coach, he is still looking.

Then there’s Paul Petrino, the offensive coordinator at Arkansas. The Razorbacks are eighth in the nation in scoring at 37.3 points per game and 10th in passing offense at 303.3 yards.

Many fans favor a blast from the past. Some want Jim Donnan to return, while others are in favor of “Beckley” Bob Pruett. Some would welcome Gunter Brewer, a former wide receivers coach at Marshall who is currently a co-offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.

Add to the list former Marshall assistants Mickey Matthews and Tony Petersen. Matthews is the head coach at James Madison, where he won a FCS national championship, and Petersen just wrapped up his first season as assistant head coach/wide receivers coach at South Dakota.

I’ve also heard mention of Buffalo’s Turner Gill and Central Michigan’s Butch Jones, a former West Virginia University assistant.

There isn’t a bad candidate in the bunch.

Here, for what it’s worth, are some names that stand out to me based solely on resume:

n Charlie Strong, defensive coordinator, University of Florida. All he does is call plays for the No. 1 defense in the country.

Strong choice (pun intended).

n Dale Lennon, head coach, Southern Illinois. Way back in June, when I was researching the Salukis for their Sept. 5 game at Marshall, I was reading Lennon’s bio. The first thing I thought was, Marshall needs to get this guy.

(No, I wasn’t hoping for Snyder’s exit, but the writing had been on the wall for a long time).

Lennon has been successful wherever he has gone. He was 90-24 in nine seasons at North Dakota, where he won a Division II national championship.

This year, in his second at Southern Illinois, Lennon has the Salukis in the FCS playoffs. They are 12-1 and ranked No. 1 in the country, and have not lost since falling 31-28 to the Herd in the season opener.

Hey, he already knows his way around Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

n Chuck Martin, head coach, Grand Valley State. Martin barely knows what losing feels like. In six seasons with the Lakers, Martin’s record is 73-6, a percentage of .921 that looks more like Alex Rodriguez’s fielding percentage.

Grand Valley State won Division II championships in 2005 and 2006 under Martin, and will host Carson-Newman in a semifinal game Saturday.

n Charlie Weis. Just kidding.

— E-mail: gfauber@

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