Photos courtesy Stephen F. Austin Athletics
Lou Snelling Named Cross Country, Track And Field Coach
Tue, Jul, 12 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green State University Director of Athletics Greg Christopher has announced that Lou Snelling has been named the new head coach for the BGSU men's and women's cross country and women's track and field programs. Snelling was most recently the head cross country coach and assistant track and field coach at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas.
“We are thrilled to welcome Lou, his wife April and his children Louis and Madie to the Falcon family,” Christopher said. “Lou stood out through our search process and is the perfect fit for the future of our program. His background, passion and drive will help our current team reach its potential, and he will help us build and recruit for the future.”
Snelling has worked at Stephen F. Austin since 2003, building a distance program that has rivaled some of the perennial powers in the region. During his time with the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks, Snelling has helped lead the programs to a total of 15 team conference championships. He is a six-time Southland Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year, earning the honor in men's cross country in 2003, 2004, and 2005, while picking up the award in women's cross country in 2003, 2009, and 2010.
Just this past year, Stephen F. Austin swept the women's side of the Southland Conference, winning the league crowns in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field, the first time that had been accomplished in school history. As well, the men's outdoor track and field team won the conference championship for the first time in school history.
As a coach at Stephen F. Austin, Snelling has overseen training for the student-athletes and handled all recruiting of distance and mid-distance student-athletes. He has been involved with scheduling, fundraising, and the academic success of the teams.
“I would like to thank Greg Christopher and Mary Ellen Gillespie for giving me the opportunity to lead the Bowling Green track and field and cross country programs,” Snelling said. “My family and I are very excited to be joining the Falcon community. I am committed to building the programs back to being competitive in the MAC and eventually competing for conference titles. I will expect that commitment level to be reflected in all facets of the program on a daily basis. It is great to be back in the Midwest and I look forward to building all of the necessary relationships in Ohio at the high school, club, and collegiate levels.”
Prior to his time at Stephen F. Austin, Snelling was a volunteer assistant cross country and track and field coach at Indiana from 2000-03, where he received his masters degree in public affairs. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2000 with a bachelors degree in political science and history after serving as a captain and receiving all-conference and academic all-conference awards on the cross country and track and field teams.
“When we started this process, we reached out to several well-respected individuals in cross country and track and field coaching,” Gillespie, BGSU's associate athletics director and administrator for track and field and cross country, said. “Lou's name repeatedly came up in conversation as an individual with integrity who can identify, recruit and develop talent. He is a proven winner and will take our program to the next level. This is a very exciting time for our student-athletes, the programs and Bowling Green athletics.”
Snelling has served as the chair of the rules committee and a member of the field expansion committee in USTFCCCA Division I cross country. He has also been a women's regional representative for the south central region and is USA Track and Field Level 1 certified.
He is married to the former April Vitori and the couple has a son, Louis Raymond Snelling VI, and a daughter, Madie.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Phil Olson – Head Track and Field Coach at Stephen F. Austin
“Coach Snelling is an outstanding coach with an impressive record in cross country and track and field at Stephen F. Austin State University. He knows what it takes to win and to get the most out of his student-athletes, both in the classroom and in competition. He has a terrific relationship with his student-athletes, and I am certain that he will develop that same type of relationship now as the head of track and cross country at Bowling Green.”
Stephanie McDonald – Associate Commissioner for the Southland Conference
“Coach Snelling is a great teacher who will work tirelessly to help his student-athletes reach their potential athletically and academically. He and his family will be assets to the BGSU community.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Lou, his wife April and his children Louis and Madie to the Falcon family,” Christopher said. “Lou stood out through our search process and is the perfect fit for the future of our program. His background, passion and drive will help our current team reach its potential, and he will help us build and recruit for the future.”
Snelling has worked at Stephen F. Austin since 2003, building a distance program that has rivaled some of the perennial powers in the region. During his time with the Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks, Snelling has helped lead the programs to a total of 15 team conference championships. He is a six-time Southland Conference Cross Country Coach of the Year, earning the honor in men's cross country in 2003, 2004, and 2005, while picking up the award in women's cross country in 2003, 2009, and 2010.
Just this past year, Stephen F. Austin swept the women's side of the Southland Conference, winning the league crowns in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field, the first time that had been accomplished in school history. As well, the men's outdoor track and field team won the conference championship for the first time in school history.
As a coach at Stephen F. Austin, Snelling has overseen training for the student-athletes and handled all recruiting of distance and mid-distance student-athletes. He has been involved with scheduling, fundraising, and the academic success of the teams.
“I would like to thank Greg Christopher and Mary Ellen Gillespie for giving me the opportunity to lead the Bowling Green track and field and cross country programs,” Snelling said. “My family and I are very excited to be joining the Falcon community. I am committed to building the programs back to being competitive in the MAC and eventually competing for conference titles. I will expect that commitment level to be reflected in all facets of the program on a daily basis. It is great to be back in the Midwest and I look forward to building all of the necessary relationships in Ohio at the high school, club, and collegiate levels.”
Prior to his time at Stephen F. Austin, Snelling was a volunteer assistant cross country and track and field coach at Indiana from 2000-03, where he received his masters degree in public affairs. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2000 with a bachelors degree in political science and history after serving as a captain and receiving all-conference and academic all-conference awards on the cross country and track and field teams.
“When we started this process, we reached out to several well-respected individuals in cross country and track and field coaching,” Gillespie, BGSU's associate athletics director and administrator for track and field and cross country, said. “Lou's name repeatedly came up in conversation as an individual with integrity who can identify, recruit and develop talent. He is a proven winner and will take our program to the next level. This is a very exciting time for our student-athletes, the programs and Bowling Green athletics.”
Snelling has served as the chair of the rules committee and a member of the field expansion committee in USTFCCCA Division I cross country. He has also been a women's regional representative for the south central region and is USA Track and Field Level 1 certified.
He is married to the former April Vitori and the couple has a son, Louis Raymond Snelling VI, and a daughter, Madie.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Phil Olson – Head Track and Field Coach at Stephen F. Austin
“Coach Snelling is an outstanding coach with an impressive record in cross country and track and field at Stephen F. Austin State University. He knows what it takes to win and to get the most out of his student-athletes, both in the classroom and in competition. He has a terrific relationship with his student-athletes, and I am certain that he will develop that same type of relationship now as the head of track and cross country at Bowling Green.”
Stephanie McDonald – Associate Commissioner for the Southland Conference
“Coach Snelling is a great teacher who will work tirelessly to help his student-athletes reach their potential athletically and academically. He and his family will be assets to the BGSU community.”