Women's Gymnastics
Snider, Samantha
Samantha Snider
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Alma Mater:
- Arkansas, '08
- Email:
- ssnider@athletics.pitt.edu
- Season at Pitt:
- Sixth
- Phone:
- 412-648-8328
Samantha Snider was hired as the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh gymnastics program in June of 2017, becoming just the third head coach in program history.
Career Highlights and Awards (Pitt)
- Led Pitt team to its first NCAA Regional Championship appearance since 2013 (2018)
- Elevated program records on bars (49.275, 2018), vault (49.325, 2020), and road score (196.500)
- Tied top program score on beam with a 49.125 (2018)
- 10 All-EAGL selections (29 honors)
- 10 EAGL All-Tournament selections (27 honors)
Career Highlights and Awards (Arkansas)
- NACGC/W South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year (2016)
- 2 NCAA Individual Champions (Katherine Grable, VT and FX in 2014)
- 5 NCAA Regional Appearances (2012-16)
- 3 NCAA Session II Appearances (2012-14)
- 1 NCAA Super Six Appearance (2012)
- 6 NCAA Individual Event Finalists
- 9 First Team All-Americans
- 5 Second Team All-Americans
- 8 NACGC/W Regular Season All-Americans
- 7 NCAA Individual Regional Champions
- 12 All-SEC Team Selections
University of Pittsburgh | Head Coach
2020
- Led the Panthers two to school records, including team road score (196.500) and vault score (49.325)
- Coached Pitt to its first win at West Virginia in 36 years, since 1984
- Guided Michaela Burton to a school-record three EAGL Gymnast of the Week titles
- Five Panthers earned All-EAGL awards, including Burton, who led the team with three first team honors (bars, beam, floor)
- Burton led the EAGL at the season’s conclusion with National Qualifying Scores of 9.850 on bars and 9.885 on beam
- Guided the Panthers to a combined 18 top-10 program marks, both individually and as a team
- Picked to finish fourth in preseason, the Panthers defied expectations by finishing second in the final EAGL standings
- The Panthers’ season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with two regular-season meets remaining on the schedule, including the 2020 EAGL Championship
2019
- Coached Brittany West en route to her first NCAA Collegiate Gymnastics Championship appearance, competing on balance beam at the Athens Regional meet
- To kick off the campaign, Pitt posted its highest season-opening team score in program history (194.750) while competing in front of 1,250 fans, marking a team record for the largest season-opening attendance
- The Panthers placed fourth at the 2019 EAGL Championship in New Hampshire, marking their highest placement since winning the title in 2016
- Six Panthers earned All-EAGL honors, and seven earned EAGL All-Tournament honors
- Freshmen Olivia Miller and Kiley Robatin each earned EAGL Rookie of the Week Honors
- Robatin tied the eighth-best beam score in program history with a 9.900 on Feb. 1, 2019
- The Panthers tied the No. 4 team beam score in program history at 49.100
2018
- Named head coach of the University of Pittsburgh gymnastics program June 12, 2017, becoming just the third head coach in program history
- Led Pitt to its first NCAA Regional Championship appearance since 2013, where the team posted the highest regional score all-time after scoring a 195.125 at the Columbus Regional
- Guided the Panthers to 19 top-10 program marks in 2018, both individually and as a team
- Coached Pitt to four of the top 10 team scores in school history, which includes a second-best mark of 196.475
- Directed the Panthers to five top 10 marks on bars, three on beam, two on vault and one on floor
- Led Pitt to the top score in program history on both bars with a 49.275 and on beam with a 49.125 (tied with the 2003 and 2004 teams)
- Guided freshman Haley Brechwald to EAGL Rookie of the Year honors after she won an EAGL-record six Rookie of the Week awards throughout the season
- Coached Brechwald to three top-10 all-around scores in school history, including a season-high 39.375 (tied for fourth)
- Directed Lucy Brett to the second-highest bars score in program history after the junior scored a 9.925 in the event
University of Arkansas | Associate Head Coach | 2017
- Promoted to Associate Head Coach in August 2016, prior to the start of the 2017 season
- Coached Jessica Yamzon, who became the first freshman in Arkansas history to make the NCAA Championships in the all-around
- Coached Braie Speed to an appearance in the 2017 NCAA Championships
- Led Arkansas to wins against multiple ranked opponents in No. 5 Alabama, No. 16 California, No. 17 Auburn and No. 25 Central Michigan
University of Arkansas | Assistant Head Coach | 2015-2016
- Coached Amanda Wellick to her second consecutive All-American honor
- Coached Samantha Nelson to All-SEC honors on beam
- Received National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women South Central Regional Assistant Coach of the Year honors
- Reached season high of 49.325 on beam in wins over No. 23 Kentucky and Utah State, tying the second-best score for the Razorbacks all-time at home
- Finished 2016 with an RQS of 49.195 on beam, which ranked 14th in the country
University of Arkansas | Assistant Head Coach / Assistant Gymnastics Coach | 2012-2014
- Guided Katherine Grable to vault and floor NCAA Titles, resulting in the program’s first two individual National Championships in 2014
- Under Snider, Arkansas’ floor team finished the 2014 season ranked No. 9 in the country
- Coached Katherine Grable to a sixth place finish in 2013 at the NCAA National Championship on floor exercise
- Guided the Razorbacks to their first ever No. 1 national ranking in 2012
- Coached multiple No. 1 ranked individuals on bars, floor and in the all-around
University of Arkansas | Director of Operations | 2009-2011
- Part of staff that led Arkansas to the Super Six for the first time in 2009 where they finished fifth in the nation after winning the NCAA South Central Regional
- Helped lead the team to a No. 9 finish in the country in 2011
- Led the Razorbacks to the NCAA North Central Region title in 2011
College Career | University of Arkansas | 2004-2008
- Helped Arkansas earn four bids to the NCAA Regionals as well as the programs first two NCAA Championship appearances
- Three time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection
- Named to National Association for Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women All-Scholar team in 2008
- Still holds spots in Arkansas’ all-time scores with a 9.925 on vault and floor, both placing ninth all-time
- A major contributor to the Razorbacks ranked finishes - No. 15 in 2005, No. 12 in 2006, No. 13 in 2007 and No. 10 in 2008 for the first top-10 finish in program history
- The Samantha Snider Leadership Award was created in her honor after concluding a standout career at the Arkansas
Education
- Graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology
- Earned her master’s in clinical mental health counseling in 2011 from Arkansas
Personal
- Resides in Pittsburgh, with her husband, assistant gymnastics coach Ryan Snider, and their daughter, Shae, and son, Bronx
Emily Todd Uneven Bars vs. Kent State
Tuesday, January 23
Pitt Gymnastics | Casey Jo MacPherson | Introductory Press Conference
Friday, April 28
Gymnastics | Senior Day Letter | Katrina Coca
Wednesday, March 31
Gymnastics | Senior Day Letter | Haley Brechwald
Wednesday, March 31
