Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Mike Snowden is in his second season as the Alabama men’s basketball strength coach. A military veteran who served on President Barack Obama’s Helicopter Squadron staff, Snowden was head coach Nate Oats’ strength coach at the University of Buffalo teams that reached unprecedented heights from 2017-19.
“Mike was with me at Buffalo and a big reason for our culture change,” Oats said. “The last two years were the best two years in Buffalo basketball history and I think having him as our strength coach was a big part of that. He’s a guy with a lot of energy, that preaches discipline and that establishes a level of work that’s expected in our program – both on and off the court. He also builds great relationships with the players and is someone who is always there for them. I thought he did an outstanding job with us at Buffalo and I know he’s already been working with our guys and they know he respects them as men and will help them grow as men.”
During his two seasons at Buffalo, Snowden helped guide the Bulls to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and Mid-American Conference tournament championships. In addition, Buffalo reached the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament in both 2018 and 2019. The two-year run produced a combined record of 59-13 overall and 31-5 in league play – the best two-year stretch in the 103-year history of the Buffalo program.
Thanks to Snowden’s leadership in the weight room, the Bulls were ranked for 20 weeks in the Associated Press Top-25 throughout the 2019 season, which marked the first time in school history the program had earned a national ranking. Buffalo went on to climb as high as No. 14 in the nation, which was the highest ranking by any MAC team in past 40 years. Additionally, the 32 victories not only set a program record, but were the most wins ever by any Mid-American men’s basketball program.
Prior to his time at Buffalo, Snowden had two stints at George Mason, his alma mater, in 2016-17 and 2013-14 – his first year as a strength coach. He also served as the strength and conditioning graduate assistant with the VCU men’s basketball team during the 2015-16 season after year-long internships with the University of Maryland football team in 2014-15 and University of Mary Washington in 2013-14. In addition, he worked as a sports performance coach with Strength and Performance Training, Inc., from 2014-15.
Snowden graduated from George Mason in 2015 with his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. He earned his master’s degree in sport leadership from VCU in 2016. He is a Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). He is also a Precision Nutrition Level I Coach through USA Weightlifting (USAW) and a Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Snowden serves on the NSCA’s Basketball Special Interest Group.
A native of Frederick, Md., Snowden also spent seven years as active-duty military in the Navy. From 2005-09, he served on the USS George Washington and received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. From 2009-12, he served on Marine Helicopter Squadron One. He was awarded the Presidential Service Badge for his service to President Barack Obama and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Snowden is engaged to Colleen Wevodau.
