Elkins – Davis & Elkins College President Chris Wood announced Tuesday that Patrick Snively has been named the next Director of Athletics.

A dedicated athletics administrator and coach with decades of experience in West Virginia, Snively arrives following a six-month stint at Wheeling as the Director of Athletics. Stepping in as a member of the college’s executive cabinet, Snively will oversee the strategic leadership, vision and budgetary aspects within the D&E department of athletics.

“Pat Snively is a welcome addition to Davis & Elkins College and our athletic program,” said D&E President Chris A. Wood. “His unique combination of experience, vision, integrity, and a desire to build upon the firm foundation which exists in our athletic program bodes well for a productive tenure as our Director of Athletics. Pat, and his spouse, Amy, will be welcome additions to both the College and the Elkins community.”

Snively managed the athletics staff and day-to-day operations of the department of athletics at Wheeling, a fellow member of the Mountain East Conference (MEC), while serving as a member of the President’s cabinet. In addition to planning, implementing and executing COVID-19 policies, Snively navigated the institution through the compressed Spring 2021 semester of over 200 competitions and spearheaded new fundraising and engagement initiatives during his tenure.

“This is an exciting new venture and I am honored and humbled by the opportunity President Wood has provided me to lead this great group of individuals,” said Snively. “Davis & Elkins has a wonderful history and is on the brink of exciting new things to come. It is a special place, in a beautiful part of the greatest state in the country. I can’t wait to get started and can’t wait to get to know our student-athletes, fans, alumni, and community.”

He takes over for the departed Jamie Joss, who became the new Director of Athletics at Florida Institute of Technology in late May.

Snively spent around 20 years at Fairmont State, his alma mater, as a student-athlete, coach and administrator. As the Senior Associate Director of Athletics at Fairmont State, Snively worked as an executive staff member to assist in the day-to-day operations of the department, placing emphasis on leadership and development for the athletic staff, coaches and student-athletes.

He also worked for several years as the Associate Director of Athletics for NCAA Compliance at Fairmont State, developing department and institution-wide enrollment initiatives aimed at supporting recruitment and retention objectives, while implementing policies and procedures specific to compliance objectives.

Snively coached the Fairmont State men’s and women’s swimming teams from 2001-20 and earned a position on the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Board of Directors. He has coached swimmers to 26 All-American performances, 91 school records, eight National Swimmer of the Week honors and conference Swimmer of the Year recognition 11 times.

The 2005 West Virginia Intercollegiate Conference (WVIAC) Men’s Coach of the Year and 2018 MEC Women’s Coach of the Year, Snively served on the NCAA Division II National Swimming and Diving Championships Committee as chair, established a new National Championships qualification procedure that went into effect in 2017-18 to improve the quality and depth of the competition and oversaw planning and execution of 2018 NCAA DII Swimming and Diving National Championships from start to finish.

Active throughout the campus community in different areas at Fairmont State, Snively provided the athletic department a representative on the Academic Affairs Council and Provost’s Council to facilitate student-athlete welfare and success.

Snively received his bachelor’s degree from Fairmont State in 1999 before obtaining his master’s degree in 2000 from West Virginia University. He earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Fairmont State in 2014.

PATRICK SNIVELY CAPSULE

Previous Experience
January 2021-July 2021: Director of Athletics, Wheeling University
2018-20: Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Fairmont State University
2001-20: Head Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach, Fairmont State University
2013-18: Associate Director of Athletics for NCAA Compliance, Fairmont State University
2001-14: Physical Education Instructor, Fairmont State University

Education
2014: Master of Business Administration, Fairmont State University
2000: Master of Science in Athletic Coaching Education, West Virginia University
1999: Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering, Fairmont State University