COLUMBUS – Mark Snyder is back in Ohio Stadium.

Thursday, January 25, 2001

COLUMBUS – Mark Snyder is back in Ohio Stadium.

As quarterback and safety for the Ironton Fighting Tigers, Snyder played in the Division III state championship game in 1982 which was played at Ohio Stadium.

After a successful college playing career and many years as an assistant coach at several colleges, Snyder will be back in Ohio Stadium this fall after being named to the Ohio State Buckeyes coaching staff by new head coach Jim Tressel.

”I can’t wait to get started,” Snyder said. ”I am an Ohio guy, so this is a tremendous dream come true for me.”

Snyder, 36, as been the defensive ends coach at Minnesota. He will be the linebacker coach at Ohio State and one of his in-coming recruits is Ironton linebacker Redgie Arden.

Minnesota head coach Glen Mason interview for the Ohio State head coaching position but finished second to Tressel.

Snyder’s ties with Tressel began at Youngstown State. Snyder was the Penguins linebacker coach in 1991 and then added special teams coordinator to his title in 1994. His special teams registered an amazing 14 blocked punts.

Two years later he was elevated to defensive line coach.

As an assistant at YSU, Snyder helped the team win three I-AA national championships and one runner-up spot. Each title game was against his alma mater Marshall.

Snyder was named defensive coordinator in 1997 by Tressel but never got a chance to serve in that capacity because he accepted the job as defensive ends coach for Minnesota. The team enjoyed its finest season in years at 7-5 and was capped with a Sun Bowl appearance.

”He is an outstanding technician and an excellent recruiter,” Tressel said.

Snyder has had an instrumental hand in the program’s upswing. Minnesota was third in the Big Ten defensively this past season and led the conference in quarterback sacks for the second straight years.

The former Ironton High School All-Ohio quarterback and Marshall Thundering Herd All-American safety has been traveling throughout his college career.

Snyder was a quarterback and hard-hitting defensive back for Ironton in 1981-82 and helped the Fighting Tigers to a Division III state runner-up his senior year.

He originally signed to play football at Morehead State, but soon became unhappy and transferred to Northeast Oklahoma A&M Junior College where he led the team to the JUCO national championship game as a quarterback.

He then went to Oklahoma State for one season, then transferred back home to Marshall where he was a two-year starter at safety for the Herd.

Although he dreamed of being a quarterback, Snyder made his mark on defense. He was first team All-Southern Conference his senior year when he set a school record with 10 interceptions. Marshall reached the NCAA Division I-AA national championship only to lose 43-42 to Northeast Louisiana.

His accomplishments that season also gained him national recognition as a I-AA honorable mention All-American.

He was hired as a graduate assistant at Marshall in 1988, then went to Central Florida for two seasons as a graduate assistant and part-time linebackers coach.

Snyder is married to the former Beth Molter of Ironton. The couple have two daughters, Chelsea Elizabeth and Lindsay Nicole, and try to get home as often as possible to visit their parents, Gene and Margaret Molter and Jo and Charlie Snyder.