Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football
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vs
Western Michigan
Nov 25 (Tue)
TBA
Phil Snow
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
- Email:
- psnow@emich.edu
- Phone:
- 734.487.2160
Phil Snow is entering his third season as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at EMU. Snow came to Ypsilanti after spending four seasons, from 2005-08, as an assistant coach with the NFL’s Detroit Lions as the linebackers coach.
Snow joins the EMU football staff with a wealth of experience in both the collegiate and professional coaching ranks.
Snow has orchestrated a major turnaround during the 2011 campaign, ranking 35th nationally and third in the MAC in total defense. The Eagles gave up 350.33 yards per game, an improvement of 103.8 yards per contest. In 12 games, the Eagles’ defense has allowed just 292 points for a total of 24.3 points per game. The last EMU squad to accomplish the feat was the 1994 team which gave up 275 points through its 11 contests.
Prior to his NFL stint in Detroit, the 56-year-old Snow served as an assistant football coach at the University of Washington, UCLA, Arizona State University, the University of California, Boise State University, and Laney College.
A 1978 graduate of Cal-State Hayward, Snow began his coaching career on the high school level, coaching at Berkeley (Calif.) H.S. in 1976, and at his high school alma mater, Winters (Calif.) in 1977-78.
From there, Snow joined the Laney (Calif.) College football staff in 1979 as a defensive backs coach before taking over as the defensive coordinator in 1980 and 1981.
His next stop was Boise State University where he was an assistant coach from 1982-86. He was a defensive backs coach in his first season at Boise before becoming the defensive coordinator in 1983 and holding that position through the 1986 season. In addition, he was the top assistant to the head coach from 1984-86. His Boise State defensive was ranked sixth in the nation in 1986.
From Boise, Snow became an assistant coach in charge of the defensive backs at the University of California from 1987-91 where he mentored current EMU Head Coach English who was a four-year letterman for the Golden Bears. The 1990 California team played in the Copper Bowl and the 1991 edition participated in the Citrus Bowl.
After his California experience, Snow became the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Arizona State University from 1992-2000 and saw the 1996 team play in the Rose Bowl, the 1997 team make the Sun Bowl while the 1999 and 2000 squads would play in the Aloha Bowl.
Snow left California to become the defensive coordinator at UCLA from 2001-2002, with the 2002 team making the Las Vegas Bowl.
The University of Washington called next and Snow spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons as first the co-defensive coordinator and then the coordinator for the Huskies before moving to the NFL in 2005.
Snow is a native of Woodland, Calif. and graduated from Winters H.S. in Winters, Calif. He went on to earn an associate’s degree at Sacramento City College in 1975 before completing his bachelor’s at Cal-State Hayward.
Snow and his wife, Debra, have two sons, Phillip and Jacob.
The Phil Snow File
Name: Phil John Snow
Born: Winters, Calif.
High School: Winters H.S.
College: Cal-State Hayward (Graduated in 1978)
Family: Wife: Debra; Children: Phillip and Jacob
Coaching Experience
Year School Position
2011 Eastern Michigan Asst.-Coach-Def. Coor.
2010 Eastern Michigan Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2008 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-LBs
2007 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-LBs
2006 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-LBs
2005 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-Defense
2004 Washington Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2003 Washington Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2002 UCLA Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2001 UCLA Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2000 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1999 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1998 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1997 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1996 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1995 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1994 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1993 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1992 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1991 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1990 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1989 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1988 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1987 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1986 Boise State Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1985 Boise State Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1984 Boise State Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1983 Boise State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1982 Boise State Asst. Coach-DBs
1981 Laney College Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1980 Laney College Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1979 Laney College Asst. Coach-DBs
1978 Winters High School Asst. Coach-DBs
1977 Winters High School Asst. Coach-DBs
1976 Berkeley High School Asst. Coach-Head J.V. Coach/Varsity DBs
Snow joins the EMU football staff with a wealth of experience in both the collegiate and professional coaching ranks.
Snow has orchestrated a major turnaround during the 2011 campaign, ranking 35th nationally and third in the MAC in total defense. The Eagles gave up 350.33 yards per game, an improvement of 103.8 yards per contest. In 12 games, the Eagles’ defense has allowed just 292 points for a total of 24.3 points per game. The last EMU squad to accomplish the feat was the 1994 team which gave up 275 points through its 11 contests.
Prior to his NFL stint in Detroit, the 56-year-old Snow served as an assistant football coach at the University of Washington, UCLA, Arizona State University, the University of California, Boise State University, and Laney College.
A 1978 graduate of Cal-State Hayward, Snow began his coaching career on the high school level, coaching at Berkeley (Calif.) H.S. in 1976, and at his high school alma mater, Winters (Calif.) in 1977-78.
From there, Snow joined the Laney (Calif.) College football staff in 1979 as a defensive backs coach before taking over as the defensive coordinator in 1980 and 1981.
His next stop was Boise State University where he was an assistant coach from 1982-86. He was a defensive backs coach in his first season at Boise before becoming the defensive coordinator in 1983 and holding that position through the 1986 season. In addition, he was the top assistant to the head coach from 1984-86. His Boise State defensive was ranked sixth in the nation in 1986.
From Boise, Snow became an assistant coach in charge of the defensive backs at the University of California from 1987-91 where he mentored current EMU Head Coach English who was a four-year letterman for the Golden Bears. The 1990 California team played in the Copper Bowl and the 1991 edition participated in the Citrus Bowl.
After his California experience, Snow became the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Arizona State University from 1992-2000 and saw the 1996 team play in the Rose Bowl, the 1997 team make the Sun Bowl while the 1999 and 2000 squads would play in the Aloha Bowl.
Snow left California to become the defensive coordinator at UCLA from 2001-2002, with the 2002 team making the Las Vegas Bowl.
The University of Washington called next and Snow spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons as first the co-defensive coordinator and then the coordinator for the Huskies before moving to the NFL in 2005.
Snow is a native of Woodland, Calif. and graduated from Winters H.S. in Winters, Calif. He went on to earn an associate’s degree at Sacramento City College in 1975 before completing his bachelor’s at Cal-State Hayward.
Snow and his wife, Debra, have two sons, Phillip and Jacob.
The Phil Snow File
Name: Phil John Snow
Born: Winters, Calif.
High School: Winters H.S.
College: Cal-State Hayward (Graduated in 1978)
Family: Wife: Debra; Children: Phillip and Jacob
Coaching Experience
Year School Position
2011 Eastern Michigan Asst.-Coach-Def. Coor.
2010 Eastern Michigan Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2008 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-LBs
2007 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-LBs
2006 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-LBs
2005 Detroit Lions - NFL Asst. Coach-Defense
2004 Washington Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2003 Washington Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2002 UCLA Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2001 UCLA Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
2000 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1999 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1998 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1997 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1996 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1995 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1994 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1993 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1992 Arizona State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1991 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1990 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1989 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1988 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1987 California Asst. Coach-DBs
1986 Boise State Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1985 Boise State Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1984 Boise State Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1983 Boise State Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1982 Boise State Asst. Coach-DBs
1981 Laney College Asst. Coach-Def. Coor.
1980 Laney College Asst. Coach--Def. Coor.
1979 Laney College Asst. Coach-DBs
1978 Winters High School Asst. Coach-DBs
1977 Winters High School Asst. Coach-DBs
1976 Berkeley High School Asst. Coach-Head J.V. Coach/Varsity DBs
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