Release via Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH — With her time as head coach of the University of Pittsburgh women's gymnastics team getting underway, head coach Samantha Snider has announced the hiring of Ryan Snider and Dave Kuzara as her assistant coaches.
 
"I am extremely excited to have Dave and Ryan join our staff," said Snider. "They each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them that will help elevate this program."

Their commitment to student-athlete welfare and passion for this sport will help bring Pitt gymnastics to a new level of success. The talents that they will bring will be a welcome addition to this program.

 Snider, who served as a volunteer assistant at Arkansas for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, primarily coached the Razorbacks on vault, assisting on uneven bars and floor exercise.
 
Prior to his time at Arkansas, Snider served as the Head Team Coach at Ariel Athletics in San Antonio, Texas. While at Ariel, he coached more than 30 state, regional and national champion gymnasts. In his 10-plus years of coaching at Ariel Athletics, he guided more than 15 athletes to earning full-ride athletic scholarships at universities.
 
In addition to his time with Ariel, he served as a clinician for Region 3 Gymnastics and the state of Texas at various high-performance camps and education seminars.
 
Kuzara comes to the Panthers after a four-year stint at the University of Michigan, his second tenure with the Wolverines after working with the program from 1991-93 as well. Kuzara coached the Wolverines primarily on vault and floor exercise, as Michigan has put up its top five single-season scoring averages on both vault and floor exercise under Kuzara.
 
He coached 2014 national champion Joanna Sampson, who swept the Big Ten and NCAA Regional titles, finishing second at the NCAA Championships the following year. In the last five years, Kuzara has mentored eight NCAA All-Americans (six on floor exercise, two on vault). For his efforts, he has been named the NCAA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year three straight seasons (2015, 2016 and 2017).
 
Kuzara has more than 20 years of experience in collegiate athletics, spending time at Western Michigan (2010-13), Massachusetts (1993-2002), West Virginia (2003-06) and Arkansas (2007-09).


Related:
Pitt Gymnastics Welcomes Samantha Snider As New Head Coach