Butler Names Paul Snape Men's Soccer Coach

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Paul Snape, who helped lead the University of Michigan to the 2010 NCAA Division I College Cup Final Four, has been named men’s soccer head coach at Butler University.  The former Michigan Associate Head Coach fills the spot vacated by Kelly Findley, who left Butler to become head coach at North Carolina State.

Snape joins Butler’s staff after spending the past eight seasons at Michigan.  He served as an assistant coach for six seasons, before being promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2009.  He helped lead the Wolverines to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2003 Elite Eight and this year’s Final Four appearance.  Michigan finished the 2010 season with a 17-5-3 record and its first-ever Big Ten Tournament title.

“We’re excited to have Paul join our staff,” said Butler Athletic Director Barry Collier.  “He’s been part of a very successful program at Michigan, and he’s had an instrumental role in developing Michigan’s talent.  We’ve had tremendous success in our men’s soccer program, and we feel that Paul is the right person to keep us moving forward.”

In addition to his coaching experience at Michigan, Snape served for one season as head coach of the Michigan Bucks in the USL Premier Development League.  He guided the team to the Elite Eight of the league in 2005.  He’s also served as an assistant coach for the Michigan Olympic Development Program (2001-07) and as a youth coach for the Michigan Rush Soccer Club (2006-08), Vardar Soccer Club (2003, 2009-10), Birmingham Bloomfield Soccer Club (2002-06) and Bloomfield Force Soccer Club (1999-2002).

Snape came to Michigan following a seven-year playing career with the Michigan Bucks.  He helped lead the Bucks to five divisional titles (1997-2000, 2003) and a regional crown in 1997.  The Bucks reached the third round of the 2003 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.  Snape was selected to the PDL All-League Team in 1997 and 2000.

A 2000 graduate of Oakland University, Snape was a four-year letterwinner and two-year men’s soccer captain (1999 & 2000) for the Grizzlies. He was a three-time Mid-Continent Conference first team All-League selection and a three-time All-Region performer, 1998-2000.  He was a conference Academic Award Winner in 1999 and 2000.  Following his senior season, he was selected to play in the 2001 Senior Bowl.

Snape holds a National “A” Coaching License from the United State Soccer Federation, and he’s a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the United States Soccer Federation and the United Kingdom Professional Footballers’ Association.  He formerly lived in Liverpool, England, and trained at the Liverpool Academy as a youth.  He and his wife, Michele, have an infant daughter, Scarlett Sydney.

(release courtesy ButlerSports.com)