The Mississippi College Athletics Department had photos taken on Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in the A.E. Wood Coliseum on the school’s campus in Clinton, Miss.

Joe Snyder

  • Title
    Head Coach of Cross Country / Track & Field
  • Email
    jsnyder@mc.edu
  • Phone
    601.925.7653

Joe Snyder starts his second season as the head cross country and track and field coach at Mississippi College, having been promoted to this role effective June 1, 2024. Snyder, who initially joined the Choctaws as an assistant coach, served as the interim head coach during the 2024 outdoor track and field season.

Coaching Philosophy 
"We want to develop young men and women who will graduate and go on to impact the world in a big way for Christ's Kingdom.  I believe that our faith is not just something that we add on top of training and competition, but it is an integral part of everything that we do.  The Choctaw Standard has five core principles: Honor God, Compete Fiercely, Selfless Involvement, Attitude of Gratitude, and Relentless Pursuit of Excellence. I challenge athletes to compete fiercely with a fearless mindset grounded in their identity in Christ, while promoting selfless involvement, gratitude, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Track and field becomes more than a sport—it’s a platform to glorify God, uplift teammates, serve the community, and grow in character and purpose."
 

Track & Field Success
Since taking over the full Track & Field program in 2024, Snyder has led Mississippi College to record-breaking seasons on the track, in the field, and on the national stage.  Under Snyder's guidance, the Mississippi College Men's & Women's programs have achieved:

  • 16 School Records (2024–2025)

  • 16 GSC Event Champions

  • 60+ All-GSC Selections

  • 59 All-South Region Honorees

  • 14 NCAA National Qualifiers

  • 8 NCAA All-Americans

Under Snyder’s leadership, MC has produced multiple GSC Athletes of the Year, including:

  • Niklas Klei – GSC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year (2024)

  • Oliver Ollesch – GSC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year (2025)

  • Grayson Foster – GSC Freshman of the Year (2024)

  • Al Ferrill & Essence Tornabene – GSC Field Athletes of the Year (2022–23)

Notable team achievements:

  • Men’s 4x400m Relay – Back-to-back NCAA qualifiers

  • Eight All-Americans in 2024 Outdoor Season alone

As the Men's & Women's Cross Country Head Coach

  • 2024 Men’s Cross Country:

    • NCAA DII National Qualifiers

    • 3rd Place – GSC Championships

    • 3rd Place – South Region Championships

  • 2024 Women’s Cross Country:

    • Taylor Benoit, NCAA DII Individual National Qualifier

    • 3rd Place – GSC Championships

Throws Coach Legacy (2021–2025)

Prior to his head coaching role, Snyder was instrumental in developing Mississippi College’s throws program into one of the most dominant units in the Gulf South Conference.

  • 17 School Records in Throws

  • 11 GSC Champions

  • Multiple GSC Field Athletes of the Year

  • Over 350 Points Scored at GSC Championships (Throws Only) Across Four Seasons

Snyder’s collegiate coaching experience includes notable achievements at Dordt University, where he coached 60 GPAC Conference Championship qualifiers, 14 All-GPAC Conference athletes, 13 National qualifiers, and three NAIA All-Americans, including Dordt's first-ever male All-American in a throwing event. He also managed the recruitment of throwers to the track and field team.

Snyder holds a Bachelor of Science from Ashford University (2013).