Snow’s Exit Shocks Loyola but No Slip in Baseball Expected

Dave Snow’s exit as Loyola Marymount’s baseball coach fit the image of the man: poker-faced and decisive.

Snow’s sudden switch to a similar position at Cal State Long Beach certainly caught everyone at Loyola by surprise, from administrators to players.

Snow and the Loyola team returned from NCAA regional play in Oklahoma on Monday. On Tuesday evening, word leaked from Long Beach sources that Snow was on the move. He notified the Loyola athletic director late Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, he was introduced as the 49ers’ new head man.

Loyola Athletic Director Brian Quinn, who found out Tuesday night when Snow’s phone call awakened him, said he is “always prepared for” the departure of a coach, but admitted he was surprised “in the sense . . . that we’ve got such a good situation, and I had no sense from him he was seriously interested” in Long Beach.

Quinn knew Snow had interviewed there but had no impression Snow was considering an offer.

“It happened so quickly,” Quinn admitted. “We didn’t (discuss) a lot of specifics. He called at 11 at night. It was basically ‘I’ve done it.’ ”

Snow’s players were also caught off guard. “I heard a slight rumor,” pitcher Steve Surico said. “Is it true?”

Informed that it was, Surico was almost speechless. He said he thought Snow was happy at Loyola and conjectured that Snow might have been looking at the less stringent entry requirements at Long Beach.

“It’s tough to get players (at Loyola). That was probably a consideration,” Surico said.

Outfielder Don Sparks said he had also heard rumors “but we were in the middle of regionals so we weren’t really thinking about that. It is a little bit of a surprise.” Sparks said Snow never seemed dissatisfied at Loyola and figures he was looking for a new challenge.

“I know they’re a little bit shocked, but this is a profession and things happen,” Snow said at a Long Beach press conference Wednesday afternoon.

He noted that Long Beach is “a hotbed of talent . . . . I think I can recruit outstanding players here” and said the school has made “a commitment to build a strong program.”

School administrators said they have doubled the number of scholarships for next season to 10 and also told Snow they would try to land an NCAA regional tournament in the future. Snow said salary “was not much of a factor.”

Snow, 38, was the most successful baseball coach in Loyola history, taking over a struggling program four years ago and compiling a 162-82-1 record with two NCAA playoff berths and an appearance in the 1986 College World Series. That year his team won 50 games. This year’s team won 48.

His teams, often ranked in the Top 20 nationally, were known for fundamentals and attention to detail. Snow’s teams always ranked among the nation’s top offenses and defenses, and Snow was adept at stretching thin pitching.

A year ago he turned down an offer to coach Cal State Fullerton, where he was previously an assistant. Fullerton is in the College World Series this week.

In taking over at Long Beach, Snow will be entering the extremely tough Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. where the competition will include Fullerton, Fresno State and Nevada-Las Vegas, all perennial playoff contenders. Long Beach hasn’t had a winning season in five years.

“He’s leaving a very solid program,” Quinn said. “He’s going to a program that hasn’t been very good. Dave likes to build--he likes to go places and build. I have a sense that it might be easier recruiting that area. It might be easier to take a state school.”

Quinn said he has several interviews set up to find a replacement. He wouldn’t reveal names, but Snow’s top assistant, Bill Springman, is thought to be a serious candidate.

“From our point of view, Dave has done a quality job,” Quinn said. “We have a good program and will continue to have a solid program. We remain committed to a good program, to bringing in quality people who will graduate and having teams that will challenge for the conference.