NMHU AD Snow accepts coaching position with UNM men's basketball

LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- New Mexico Highlands University Director of Athletics Craig Snow will no longer lead the Cowboy and Cowgirl athletic department as he's accepted a position as special assistant to the head coach for The University of New Mexico men's basketball program effective immediately.
 
Snow served as head coach for the NMHU men's basketball program the previous five seasons – culminating in leading the Cowboys to the 2019 RMAC Tournament championship, the first in program history. He's also served as the interim director of athletics for NMHU the last two seasons before being named the full-time director of athletics in April.
 
Snow's wife, Jessica – a faculty member in the NMHU Department of Biology – will also be leaving to work at UNM.
 
"Losing both athletic director Craig Snow and professor Jessica Snow are great losses to HU," NMHU President Sam Minner said. "But I thank both of them so very much for their high efforts at Highlands and their commitment to our mission. I know both of these individuals will succeed at high levels in their next positions and I wish them all the best in the next stage of their lives."
 
Minner said he'll name an interim director of athletics before conducting a national search for Snow's replacement.
 
"NMHU athletics is on the upswing and I am confident we will attract a high-quality replacement for both Craig and Jessica," Minner said. "I will name one or more interim replacements and then conduct national searches for these positions."
 
Snow served as NMHU's interim director of athletics since September of 2017 while also coaching the Cowboys – just finishing his fifth season and leading the team to a program-record 22 wins, the Cowboys' first RMAC Tournament title and second NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Snow as an athletic director made an impact as the student-athlete population has increased by 17 percent and he was the driving force in a deal with Albuquerque's ProView Network to have NMHU football and men's and women's basketball games broadcast in the Albuquerque.
 
During Snow's tenure at NMHU, he coached six All-RMAC players and three all-region players. The Cowboys in 2018-19 finished the season ranked 14th in the country in scoring (87.2 points per game) and 18th in 3-pointers made.
 
"It is a great comfort to me that high efforts, integrity and ultimately high performance still result in new opportunities for people," Minner said. "Basically, both Craig and Jessica Snow are examples of these traits. They are truly wonderful professionals and as a result, the caught the eye of other universities. That's a loss for us, but it is a great thing for them and their family. Everyone at HU wishes them nothing but the best. UNM is Division I and we are Division II. With Craig working at UNM, I now have a reason to root for two New Mexico teams."
 
It's a return to UNM for Snow as he worked with the men's basketball program from 2011-14 serving a year each as video coordinator, director of operations and assistant coach before taking the head coaching position with NMHU.