Jeff Snuffer’s decision to retire from coaching Western Alamance High School football marks the end of 34-year tenure that included 16 seasons as the Warriors’ head coach. Snuffer won six conference championships and only had one losing season throughout his time as head coach.
Snuffer acknowledged he knew it was time to retire after hearing other retired coaches talk about when they realized it’s time to step away. Snuffer said he experienced that feeling back in September. However, he said he didn’t want to tell the team about his decision in case the players got distracted by the news.
“I love coaching,” Snuffer said. “I still feel like I have it in me but in September, I knew it was the right time.”
While Snuffer was successful throughout his coaching career at Western Alamance, Snuffer’s favorite part of the job was forming relationships with his players.
Snuffer said he had plenty of coaches impact his life when he was younger and wanted to do the same for his players. As someone who also taught physical fitness at Western Alamance during his coaching tenure, Snuffer said he was always looking to help all students.
Snuffer additionally said the different backgrounds of his players allowed him to better communicate with everyone. He cited it as a critical component toward trying to help people.
“I wanted to impact people the way I was impacted,” Snuffer said. “I love working with coaches but you don’t get into this business for the approval of adults. If you’re a teacher or a head coach, you should be doing it for the people learning from you.”
Assistant coach Donald Schietzelt is one of many people who have been impacted by Snuffer. Before coaching alongside Snuffer, Schietzelt played for him when he was assistant coach and was a part of Western Alamance’s State Championship team in 2007.
Schietzelt’s most impactful experience with Snuffer occurred as a high school sophomore after a tough loss. In a Facebook post he said the defeat, along with the heart problems his dad suffered a few months prior, made it feel like everything was bringing him down, but Snuffer gave him encouraging words that still resonate with him today.
“Not only was I battling imposter syndrome as a starter, but my dad had a heart bypass right before the season and had complications right after,” Schietzelt said. “With the weight of the world and my failures bringing me down, Coach Snuffer walked up and in a few sentences, poured so much life into me that it still makes me emotional almost 20 years later. The impact that he left on the Western Alamance community cannot be measured.”
“You grow as a person when you're around different types of people and the kids have seen all walks of life here,” Snuffer said. “There’s kids that have been very wealthy, some kids not so wealthy, kids that have had life hard. Some kids need help and you think you can help them.”
In responding to adversity, Snuffer said trusting the process is the only solution he sees fit. He said that’s always been important to him at a young age through his parents and coaches. Snuffer said that hard work is an important concept and it has helped him handle different situations.
“That’s how you get better, and so I’ve always applied that. You should find out what you're good at and just work through the ups and downs. No matter what adversity you face, you push through it because that’s what you’re supposed to do.”
Snuffer’s approach has allowed him to establish friendships that have extended all the way back to his early days as an assistant coach. He said that a few days after announcing his retirement, five former players from the ’90s spent time with him. Those players have only been a small sample of the guys who have reached out to Snuffer.
“I’ve had all kinds of responses on Facebook, texts, you know, emails, calls. Former players when they're doing that, you feel like you've done something right,” Snuffer said. “It's very fulfilling.”
Despite Snuffer’s longtime affiliation with the high school, he said every day brings something different. Snuffer said he finds this beneficial because it’s an opportunity to learn something new, especially when it comes to his players.
“Every season is different, and every team I coached is different,” Snuffer said. “I like that because you learn and grow through the things you experience and the different people that you get to know.”
Snuffer said he felt his experience coaching Western Alamance was “a calling.” He cited his faith, believing that he was there for a reason and was grateful for the opportunity.
“I can’t thank the Lord enough for sending me here,” Snuffer said. “I felt called and in anything you do, there's going to be adversity but that's something I tried to show these players and students.”
As for the next head coach, Snuffer endorsed current defensive coordinator Devante Pettiford for the job. Snuffer said his coaching style is a very good fit for the players,which is why Snuffer hired him.
“Every time we played them, I just liked how he interacted with his team, and how he coached his style,” Snuffer said. “Kids respond to him and that’s a key word.”
Asked about what advice he’d give the current players on the team, Snuffer encouraged them to continue preparing for next season. Snuffer said while it’s understandable guys might be expressing uncertainty, the process toward getting ready stays the same.
“People move on, but you've just got to respond the best you know how, and the way I've always known how is you just go to work,” Snuffer said. “You know what you can control and that’s how you’re preparing. The future is bright for them and they’re going to continue to work like Warriors.”