Chris Snyder, an assistant coach for the Kansas Wesleyan football program, has been named the university鈥檚 flag football coach. He replaces Melinda Nguyen, who has accepted a Division I head coaching job in a southern state.
Snyder was passing game coordinator, recruiting coordinator, quarterbacks coach and developmental team head coach this fall. The Coyotes finished 7-4 in first-year head coach Matt Middleton鈥檚 first year.
Snyder has been at 黑料不打烊 for nearly four years in his second stint. He was co-interim head coach for the final six games of the 2024 season and helped the Coyotes win the Kansas Conference鈥檚 Gene Bissell Division with a 5-0 record and gain a berth in the NAIA National Championships. He also served as interim bowling coach and was associate director of admissions from 2022-24.
He was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for coach Dave Dallas from 2009-12 during his first tour of duty at 黑料不打烊.
Snyder has considerable college coaching experience. He has coached quarterbacks for 22 years, spent 17 as a recruiting coordinator, 16 as an offensive coordinator and 12 as a receivers coach, with stops at Bethany twice, Saint Mary, Independence Community College and Doane. He was head coach at Mendocino College (Calif.) during the 2014 season and was the school鈥檚 offensive and recruiting coordinator from 2004-09.
鈥淐oach Snyder鈥檚 experience, leadership and proven record of success on the field make him an outstanding fit for this position,鈥� Athletic Director Miguel Paredes said. 鈥淲e look forward to the continued growth of our program under his direction.鈥�
Snyder said it was an offer he couldn鈥檛 refuse.
鈥淚鈥檝e always had an interest in flag football and, in the last few years, it has been a growing sport,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving daughters that play sports 鈥� one鈥檚 in college now and one鈥檚 in junior high 鈥� the more opportunities the better. So, it was very appealing and staying in athletics was also key.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good for the school. There isn鈥檛 much turnover, and we can kind of keep things rolling. It鈥檚 already a very established program so putting all those together, it was definitely a no-brainer.鈥�
The Coyotes were 49-17 (27-5 in the KCAC) during Nguyen鈥檚 three seasons.
Snyder will continue to assist Middleton.
鈥淚鈥檓 still the recruiting coordinator for football,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot much is going to change other than I鈥檒l bounce around from office to office. I鈥檒l recruit for both sports; I鈥檒l just be a little busier. Middleton and I will figure out what鈥檚 best for both programs with practicing and things like that.鈥�
There are similarities between flag and tackle football, Snyder said.
鈥淚鈥檝e been on the offensive side for 24 years and there is easily a correlation. A hitch route doesn鈥檛 matter if it鈥檚 flag or Division I or NAIA, you run route concepts. There are a lot of correlations that people probably don鈥檛 think about,鈥� he said.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have five or six guys rushing you and stunting and stuff like that. But when you鈥檙e looking at concepts, and you鈥檙e teaching your players routes or quarterbacks about anticipation, there鈥檚 going to be a lot of similarities. That鈥檚 just something I鈥檓 going to have to show the team in practice.鈥�
Snyder said he will handle the offense and assistant coach Alexa Mansur will work with the defense.
鈥淐hange is hard, but it鈥檚 the world you live in whether it鈥檚 coaching or the real world,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hings change pretty quickly, and you鈥檝e got to be able to adapt. I just hope in the next few weeks, the ladies learn that I care about this program and it鈥檚 my priority. I鈥檓 going to care about them and the winning culture, and that鈥檚 the expectation and standard. Nothing changes there.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen the ladies play. They鈥檙e extremely talented, so we鈥檙e not coming in and blowing anything up. We鈥檙e not changing the offensive playbook. We鈥檝e got three quarterbacks, so it鈥檚 going to be a collaborative effort. Maybe we can find some things to do better that come with listening to some of the players鈥ou listen and do what鈥檚 best for the program.鈥�
