Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Mark Snyder is going back to the state of Florida.
Snyder — the former Ironton Fighting Tigers’ All-Ohio quarterback and defensive back — was hired as a defensive ends coach for new Florida State head coach Willie Taggart.
After spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach for Mark Dantonio at Michigan State, Snyder is heading back to the state where he cut his college coaching teeth.
Taggart earlier hired Michigan State defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett to fill the same position with the Seminoles. The hiring means Snyder will again be working under Barnett.
Snyder, 53, worked under Barnett as linebackers coach at Michigan State for three years from 2015-17. He also served as special teams coordinator during that time.
Snyder was a student assistant at Marshall in 1988 and then took a job as a graduate assistant at Central Florida the next season.
Snyder was named the UCF linebackers’ coach the next year and then accepted a position as an assistant coach for then-Youngstown State head coach Jim Tressel from 1991-96.
Minnesota hired Snyder as the defensive ends coach in 1996 and he remained with the Gophers until Tressel came calling again, this time as the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for Ohio State.
Snyder helped the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship.
In the spring of 2005, Bob Pruitt abruptly quit as the Marshall head coach and Snyder was hired just as spring practices were ending.
The Marshall job was a return to his alma mater where Snyder was a Marshall safety in 1988 and earned Division I-AA All-American honors as he set the school record with 10 interceptions and helped the Thundering Herd to finish as national runners-up.
Snyder was at Marshall from 2005-09 before resigning following a 6-6 regular season and did not coach in the Little Caesars Bowl.
After Marshall, Snyder went back to Florida, this time as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for Skip Holtz at South Florida.
Following two seasons with the Bulls, Snyder was named defensive coordinator at Texas A&M and his defense was instrumental in an upset at then No. 1-ranked Alabama.
Snyder was at A&M from 2012-14 and then went to Michigan State from 2015-17. Snyder and Dantonio were assistants together at Ohio State.