Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Mike Snowden is in his third season as the Alabama men’s basketball strength coach and fifth year serving in that role under head coach Nate Oats. A military veteran who served on President Barack Obama’s Helicopter Squadron staff, Snowden was head coach Nate Oats’ strength coach for the last four years, including spending two seasons at Buffalo where he helped the program reach unprecedented heights.
“Mike was with me at Buffalo and a big reason for our culture change,” Oats said. “Our final two years were the best two years in Buffalo basketball history and his impact has continued to be felt here at Alabama. 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.”
Snowden’s impact has been felt immediately as he helped the Crimson Tide to one of its best seasons in program history in 2020-21. Alabama’s season ended in the Sweet 16 with a final record of 26-7 overall and a school-record tying 16 wins in SEC play (16-2). The Tide also swept both the regular season and conference tournament championships. It was the program's first regular season title in 19 years (2002) and first tournament championship title in 30 years (1991).
Thanks to Snowden’s leadership in the weight room, the Crimson Tide was ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation during the 20-21 season and spent eight of the final nine weeks ranked among the Associated Press Top 10. UA finished the year matching the program’s highest final ranking ever at No. 5 nationally, matching the famous 1955-56 Rocket 8 team.
Snowden has helped three players under his program hear their name called on draft night over his two seasons in Tuscaloosa. Snowden worked closely with in the weight room a pair of NBA Draft lottery picks in Kira Lewis Jr. (No. 13 overall in 2020) and Joshua Primo (No. 12 overall in 2021). SEC Player of the Year Herbert Jones, who changed his body in his two years under Snowden’s supervision, was also selected in the 2021 NBA Draft (No. 35 overall), giving the Crimson Tide two players selected in the same draft for the first time since 1995.
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.
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), where he serves as Vice Chair for the organization’s Basketball Special Interest Group. He is also a Level I Precision Nutrition and USA Weightlifting (USAW) coach and a Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Finally, Snowden authored a book for SimpliFaster and Stack Sports
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 was married to the former Colleen Wevodau in July, 2021.
