Washington Township HS soccer coach Shane Snyder secures his 300th career victory
SEWELL, N.J. — Shane Snyder, Washington Township High School boys soccer coach, has had plenty of reasons to celebrate. Amid the Minutemen’s successful 2021 season (that ended in the second round of the NJSIAA state tournament), the 19-year coach secured his 300th career victory with a 4-0 mid-October road win against Cherry Hill West.
Snyder tallied 90-plus wins across 7 years as the head WTHS girls soccer coach. In 2010, he took over the boys’ team from longtime coach Tom Patterson and has tallied more than 200 victories in 12 seasons.
“Winning 300 games isn’t why I got into coaching, and I don’t really pay attention to it,” said Snyder, who is also a longtime special education math teacher at WTHS. “It was neat to have former players, parents, and coaches reach out and share memories. That’s what I will remember!”
Snyder has never recorded a losing season. About one-quarter of his 300-plus wins came during a three-year stretch between 2013-15, when the Minutemen recorded an impressive 76-3-1 combined record with two Group 4 state titles.
Shane Snyder’s WTHS Soccer Career Coaching Accomplishments:
Girls program:
- 2 Olympic Conference championships (2006, 2007)
Boys program:
- 6 Olympic Conference championships (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018)
- 3 South Jersey Coaches Association Tournament championships (2013, 2014, 2017)
- 6 South Jersey Group 4 championships (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
- 3 State Group 4 championships (2014, 2015, 2018)
Snyder is the youngest of three siblings, joining Billy and Jason. All played soccer at Pennsauken High School and through college, and have since coached at the high school level. Billy is now Pennsauken’s athletic director, while Jason is the head boys soccer coach at Lindenwold High School.
The Snyder boys’ love for soccer came from their father, Bill, who earned All-American defender honors at Penn State and later coached Philadelphia’s Frankford High School to 11 consecutive public league championships. “We are a soccer-crazed family,” Snyder says. “Our dad taught us to try our best, work hard, be honest and fair, respect the game and compete.”
In addition to his dad’s influence, Snyder says he began coaching because he loves to be around people and the sport. “Coaching is the perfect marriage of making connections; building relationships; and teaching the importance to build character, work hard, have dedication, and show selflessness,” he says. “I try to teach both soccer and life.”
Snyder says he is fortunate to have great support through the years. And while winning state championships against tough competition is the ultimate reward, the memories and friendships created are what stand out the most.
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