University Southern California Trojans
Sean Snyder, Donte Williams Join USC Football Coaching Staff
February 12, 2020 | Football, Features
Two huge hires for @USC_FB are officially OFFICIAL.
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) February 13, 2020
Welcome to the #TrojanFamily, @CoachDee_USC and @coachseansnyder! #FightOn pic.twitter.com/PsHkqUoPsT
Sean Snyder Bio
Snyder, 50, is the son of legendary retired Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder, who in 1966 also served on the USC coaching staff.The younger Snyder spent the past 26 years (1994-2019) at Kansas State, his alma mater. From 2011 to 2018, he was the Wildcats' special teams coordinator and associate head coach, then he was senior special teams analyst in 2019. He was named the national Special Teams Coordinator of the Year in 2015 by FootballScoop and Phil Steele and in 2017 by Phil Steele.
During his tenure, Kansas State ranked in the Top 15 of the ESPN Special Teams Efficiency rating 5 times, including first in 2017, second in 2015 and third in 2012. The Wildcats also were in the Top 25 of the Football Outsiders Special Teams Rating 6 times since 2011, including first in 2017, third in 2014 and 2019 and sixth in 2012.
Under Snyder, Kansas State's special teams units set or tied 8 team records and 20 individual marks. He coached 4 Big 12 Special Teams Players of the Year, including 3 consecutive (returners Tyler Lockett in 2013 and 2014, Morgan Burns in 2015 and Joshua Youngblood in 2019). Lockett, who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks, was an All-American first team kickoff returner in 2011 and punt returner in 2014. Burns earned All-American first team honors in 2015 as a kick returner when he led the country in kickoff return touchdowns (4). Youngblood was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2019 when he ran back 3 kickoffs for TDs and helped Kansas State top the nation in kickoff return average (29.5). Placekicker Matthew McCrane was a Freshman All-American first teamer in 2014 and All-Big 12 first team pick in 2017, while kicker Jack Cantele made the All-Big 12 first team in 2015. Kick returner Byron Pringle was All-Big 12 first team in 2016 and returner D.J. Reed was so honored in 2017.
Snyder began at Kansas State as a part-time assistant coach in 1994 and 1995, then served as director of football operations from 1996 to 1998, assistant athletic director for football operations in 1999 and 2000, associate athletic director in 2001 and senior associate athletic director from 2002 to 2010.
He was a consensus All-American and All-Big Eight first team punter under his father at Kansas State as a senior in 1992, averaging 44.7 yards per punt. He was the Big Eight Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a 1991 junior, with a 40.5 punting average. His 43.0 career punting average was a school record. He played in the 1992 Blue-Gray Game. He was inducted into Kansas State's inaugural Ring of Honor Class in 2002 and into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
Snyder redshirted at Iowa in 1988, then saw action in 2 games for the Hawkeyes as a redshirt freshman in 1989 before transferring to Kansas State.
He earned his bachelor's degree from Kansas State in money and banking in 1994.
He signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1993 and the San Diego Chargers in 1994.
He starred as a punter and placekicker at Greenville (Tex.) High, where he also played baseball.
Snyder was born on Sept. 21, 1969. He and his wife Wanda raised a daughter Katherine and sons Tate and Matthew.
Donte Williams Bio
Williams spent the past 2 seasons (2018-19) as Oregon's cornerbacks coach. The Ducks were second in the nation in interceptions in 2019 (with 20) and 11th in 2018 (17). Oregon played in the 2018 Redbox Bowl and then won the 2019 Pac-12 championship and played in the Rose Bowl. He was named the nation's seventh best recruiter (No. 1 in the Pac-12) for the class of 2020 by 247Sports.In 2017, he coached Nebraska's cornerbacks, nickelbacks and dimebacks as well as helping with the Cornhuskers' pass defense coordination.
Williams, 37, was the cornerbacks coach at Arizona in 2016.
Prior to that, he spent 3 seasons (2013-15) at San Jose State, coaching the cornerbacks the first season and serving as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator the final 2 seasons. In 2014, the Spartans' pass defense (117.8) and passing touchdowns allowed (6) were tops in the nation, improving 85 and 102 spots, respectively, in the national rankings from the previous year. Then in 2015, as SJSU played in the Cure Bowl, the Spartans were second nationally in pass defense (157.8) and 29th in passing TDs allowed (16). He also was named a Top 10 national recruiter by Sports Illustrated in 2015 after being selected as the Mountain West's best recruiter in 2014 by 247Sports.
He was a graduate assistant at Washington in 2011 and 2012, working with the cornerbacks and linebackers. The Huskies played in the 2011 Alamo Bowl and 2012 Las Vegas Bowl. In the summer of 2012, he was a summer coaching intern with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.
He spent 2010 as a quality control coach at Nevada, helping with the linebackers. The Wolfpack played in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl that season.
He began his coaching career as a cornerbacks coach at the junior college level, first at Los Angeles Harbor College in 2007, then El Camino College in 2008 and Mt. San Antonio College in 2009.
He played football at Culver City (Calif.) High.
He then played defensive back at Pasadena (Calif.) City College in 2002, Syracuse in 2003 and Idaho State in 2004 and 2005. He was an All-Big Sky first teamer and team captain both seasons at Idaho State.
He received his bachelor's degree from Idaho State in 2006.
He then played 2 seasons in the Arena Football League 2, for the Rio Grande Valley Dorados (2007) and Arkansas Twisters (2008).
He was born on Sept. 1, 1982. His cousins are former USC defensive backs Kris Richard (1998-2001), who played with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks (2002-04) and San Francisco 49ers (2005) and then coached with USC, the Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys, and Darnell Lacy (1996-98).
