Craig Snider - Softball Coach - Texas Tech Red Raiders

Craig Snider

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
coach.snider@ttu.edu

After a record-breaking inaugural season for Craig Snider, he begins his second year at the helm of the Texas Tech Softball program after being named the ninth head softball coach in Texas Tech history on June 20, 2022.

In two short seasons, Snider has helped the program reach heights they haven't seen in a long time.

The Red Raiders had six players selected to All-Big 12 teams in 2024, tying a program record. The team also experienced back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

During his two seasons in Lubbock, Snider's offensive prowess has helped Tech record the most doubles (181), doubles per game (1.76), home runs (134), home runs per game (1.30), RBIs (562), RBIs per game (5.46) and the highest slugging percentage (.537) over a two-year span in program history. On top of that, 13 Red Raiders combined to set 88 career highs - most in the country for the 2024 season.

Despite a disappointing ending to the 2024 season which saw the Red Raiders as one of the first four teams out of the NCAA National Tournament, the future is bright as Snider and staff welcome in the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation for the 2025 season.

His first season with the Red Raiders saw an immediate change with the squad’s power at the plate. Under the direction of one of the best offensive minds in the game, Texas Tech broke the program’s single-season home run record after smashing 74 long balls. Tech also set the single-season program record in doubles with 93 two-baggers and the single-season slugging percentage with a .543 slugging percentage. All three of these program records were standing for at least a decade.

The Red Raider offense finished the regular season ranked seventh nationally in doubles, eighth in home runs, 11^th in slugging percentage (.543), 24^th in scoring (5.87) and 29^th in batting average (.308).

In his inaugural season, Snider brought in two recruits that made an immediate impact in Lubbock. Fifth-year senior Makinzy Herzog joined the Red Raiders out of Texas A&M and made claim to the top of the batting order. Herzog finished the season batting .365 with a team-leading 62 hits, 15 doubles, seven home runs and 32 RBIs.

Freshman Kailey Wyckoff would also join Snider in the Hub City and quickly became a well-known name across the toughest softball conference in the country. Wyckoff was named the 2023 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, marking just the second individual conference award in program history. The Katy, Texas native was also named a D1 Softball Freshman All-American, an All-Big 12 Second Team selection, a unanimous All-Big 12 Freshmen Team Selection and a NFCA All-Region Third Team selection.

After hitting just three home runs a year ago and only five total in her career, Ellie Bailey etched her name in Tech’s single-season home run record after blasting a team-leading 16 homers. Bailey was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, marking the first Red Raider to be tabbed a first-team selection since 2019.

Snider is just the third coach in program history to win 30-plus games in the first season at the helm. He is also just the third coach in program history to earn five or more ranked wins in their first season.

During the previous 21 seasons as an assistant, Snider has made stops at Oklahoma, Florida State and Texas A&M where he has coached 20 All-Americans and made three Women's College World Series appearances, taking home the championship trophy while on staff at Florida State in 2018.

Snider spent the last three seasons in College Station where he helped transform the Aggie hitters, improving in nearly every offensive category over the last three seasons. He coached Hayley Lee to the 11th-best on-base percentage and fourth-most walks per game in the NCAA in 2022 as she earned NFCA All-America second team honors. In 2021, Lee gathered third team All-America accolades after finishing third in the NCAA in home runs, fifth in home runs per game, sixth in slugging percentage, seventh in total bases, 24^th in on-base percentage and 39^th in batting average.

Prior to his time at Texas A&M, Snider spent eight seasons at Florida State where he helped the Seminoles to 11 Athletic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships, seven NCAA Super Regionals, three WCWS appearances and the 2018 National Championship.

While in Tallahassee, Snider built Florida State into one of the top offensive schools in the nation as the Seminole's set program records for home runs, batting average and RBI during the 2019 season. FSU ranked in the top 10 nationally for batting average, home runs per game, on base percentage, scoring and slugging that season alone.

During Florida State's championship run in 2018, the Seminoles ranked top 10 in doubles per game and slugging. With Snider's guidance, Sydney Sherrill led the nation in doubles, ranked ninth in hits and eighth in total bases. Three-time All-American Jessie Warren, meanwhile, ranked sixth in the NCAA in home runs, fifth in RBI and fifth in total bases.

Under Snider's direction, Seminole hitters saw tremendous success in 2017, ranking in the top five in the country for on-base percentage, scoring, slugging and triples per game, while finishing in the top 10 for home runs per game and batting average. Warren led the country in total bases and finished second in home runs, third in slugging and 10th in RBI, picking up first team All-America nods. Senior Alex Powers ranked seventh in the nation in doubles on her way to NFCA third team All-America honors.

Florida State made its second WCWS appearance in three seasons in 2016 as Snider helped the Seminole offense to a top-20 batting average and top-10 rankings in on-base percentage and scoring. The Seminoles swept NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals on the way to Oklahoma City where they would finish third nationally, falling in the semifinals.

Snider helped the Seminoles to its first WCWS in 10 years in 2014, as FSU put together a 55-9 record and ranked 12th national in scoring. Florida State was led offensively by Maddie O'Brien who finished as the nation's RBI leader with 83 runs driven in. O'Brien was named a first team All-American, ranking second nationally in home runs and slugging, third in on-base percentage and fifth in walks.

Snider came to Florida State after four seasons at Stephen F. Austin where he served as the hitting coach for the Ladyjacks from 2007-10. In 2008, he helped SFA to an NCAA Regional appearance after winning the Southland Conference tournament.

Previously, Snider spent the 2005-06 season as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma under Patty Gasso after stints as an assistant coach at Centenary (2004-05) and Lindsey Wilson College (2001-03).

A 2004 graduate of Centenary, Snider hails from Franklin, Kentucky. He has a daughter, Riley, and a son, Henry.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING…

Lonni Alameda – Head Coach, Florida State
"I am so happy for Craig and Texas Tech softball. What an incredible human that loves people, the game of softball and takes pride in the growth of his players. Having coached side by side with Craig I know he is ready to give his all to make the Red Raiders a team ready to compete at the highest level!"

CRAIG SNIDER CAREER HISTORY
Lindsey Wilson College (NAIA) – Assistant Coach, 2001-03
Centenary (DI*) – Assistant Coach, 2004-05
Oklahoma – Graduate Assistant, 2005-06
Stephen F. Austin – Assistant Coach, 2007-10
Florida State – Assistant Coach, 2011-19
Texas A&M – Assistant Coach, 2020-22
*Centenary was NCAA DI until 2011