College football: 'State of Shawnee Football Plan' a go, says Snyder

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BELLEFONTE, Ky. — The State of Shawnee Football Plan has officially been engaged.

That’s what Shawnee State coach Mark Snyder calls what might be, for many coaches, a once-in-a-lifetime project and opportunity, in remarks at Bellefonte Country Club on Tuesday.

The plan is the driving piece toward Shawnee State’s initial foray into football, which the Bears, who will join the Mountain East Conference and NCAA Division II ranks on July 1, look to start two years from now.

As Shawnee State’s football program prepares to commence in 2028, Snyder has two years to formulate the building blocks.

That’s a challenge that the former Marshall coach, South Point, Ohio, native, and coaching veteran of more than three decades welcomes.

“That’s what made the job exciting was that challenge,” Snyder said. “After about a month, month and a half (into the job), I figured out that I needed to quit starting at the starting point, and work my way backwards from Game 1, because I know what that’s going to look like. So it’s all about the things that we need to get to Game 1, and working backwards from there. In my mind, I’ve come all the way backwards.”

Of about 3,900 colleges and universities nationally, only 52 of those have started football since 2015, according to the National Football Federation, and about 130 to 140 total since 2001.

For those that Snyder has talked to who he knows that have started a program from scratch, the message is simple — recruit.

“They said the first year, go out there and recruit,” Snyder said.

The former Thundering Herd sideline boss and Ohio State, Florida State and Texas A&M assistant says there’s no better place to execute that than in the Tri-State.

That’s where the State of Shawnee Football Plan comes in. Snyder said that plan is to start in Portsmouth, and go from 50 to 100 miles in all directions “and touch every single high school in that radius.”

“We’re going to start there and we’re going to branch out,” Snyder said.

Recruiting southern Ohio and northern Kentucky will be main priorities. In West Virginia, Snyder said he plans to recruit Cabell, Putnam and Wayne counties with vigor as well.

“Being at Marshall, I know what the athletes look like in West Virginia,” Snyder said.

They will all be a part of a brand-new process, which Snyder believes he can expedite with his experiences elsewhere.

“Everything’s new,” Snyder said. “Everything we’re doing is new. We are setting the template, and with that comes a great deal of responsibility. We’re going to be setting the standard for generations to come. I believe that I can speed up the process a little bit because I’ve been doing this for so long, slight that curve a little bit and make it move faster.”

The local talent that will be recruited will be exposed to what Snyder promised will be an exciting style of play on the gridiron.

“I can tell you this — it’s going to be a fun brand of football,” Snyder said, “and they’re going to enjoy watching it. That’s all I can say. Whatever it is, whatever it looks like — it’s going to be fun. Whatever team is your team right now, you better shift 32 miles down the road (from Bellefonte) and come check us out. We’re going to play a fun brand of football.”

The Bears will call historic Spartan Stadium home. The venerable venue will need millions of dollars’ worth of renovations, but it is unmatched locally in its history, which includes being the site of the first NFL contest played at night.

“There’s a lot of history there,” Snyder said. “I saw the posters of (Pro Football Hall of Famers) Jim Thorpe and Glenn Presnell up there. It’s tradition-rich and so incredible. Then, you walk into the locker room, and it looks like the heaters and the showers are from that era. That’s got to change.”

Recruiting locally, though, means players from the Tri-State will know and embrace the history, Snyder believes.

“We will sell that point,” Snyder said. “That goes back to recruiting locally. Guys who reside close to the Shawnee State football program will understand the history more than a kid from Georgia or Florida will, or Washington, D.C. Not that they will know immediately, but they’ll get it a lot quicker than somebody from out of the region. Are we going to educate our players on (the history of Spartan Stadium)? Absolutely. I think it’s terrific.”

Snyder, who kicked off his speaking engagement tour at Marting’s in Portsmouth on Monday, will also be speaking in Columbus on Wednesday at another reception. Snyder said that “four or five” of his players from the 2002 Ohio State national championship squad that defeated heavily favored Miami, 31-24, in double overtime, are expected to be at the reception.

“That’s why you get into this business,” Snyder said. “The social media aspect of it makes it easy to stay in contact with former players. That’s why I do it. It’s all about the relationships we and I were able to build with those guys. They’re all very excited. They know what’s coming down the pike for these kids that we recruited, because they went through my program. They’ve been through my coaching style. We’re going to demand excellence out of our players, on and off the field. I’ve been blessed to see a lot, and I can expound on those experiences.”

Snyder will be counting on his experience to lock down the state of Ohio for Shawnee State at the NCAA Division II level from a recruiting standpoint — in a manner similar to how his Ohio State defense, which held opponents to just 13.1 points per game, a mark that ranked second in the nation back in 2002, once did.

“We’re going to shut the borders down,” Snyder said.

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