Tommy Snell
Tommy Snell

Bio

Tommy Snell built a golf dynasty at Gulf Coast which reached the pinnacle with the first team NJCAA Golf Championship in school history. Now, he’s returned as an assistant coach.

His Bulldog teams finished in the top five at the NJCAA Tournament seven times between 2012 and 2019, with three more top-10 finishes. His teams won 11 of his final 12 NJCAA Region 23/District D tournaments, and more than 40 of his golfer went on to play at four-year schools. He retired as head coach following the 2021 season.

Snell started at Perkinston in 2000, and he was inducted into the NJCAA Men’s Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015. His teams won seven MACJC championships and were runners-up seven times, and he was the Mississippi Association of Coaches Community College Coach of the Year in 2016.

Gulf Coast has sent golfers to the national tournament every year since 2002, and Snell was named PING Coach of the Year in 2008 and the Dave Williams Coach of the Year for NJCAA Division II in 2018.

Prior to coming to Gulf Coast, Snell was the golf coach at St. John High School, where his team won five straight Class 2A state championships. He was a three-time Mississippi High School Activities Association Coach of the Year.

Snell is very active on the national golf scene as a United States Golf Association rules official and committeeman. He is a frequent rules official at NCAA championships and is on the NCAA Division I national championship committee.

Snell was on the Golf Coaches Association of America national championship advisory board, and was a weekly columnist for the Sun Herald. He was a U.S Open qualifying medalist in 1980 and winner of several amateur and professional tournaments.

He attended Gulfport East High School before graduating from Sam Houston High in Arlington, Texas. Snell earned a bachelor’s degree in English from The University of Southern Miss, graduating with highest honors. He also has a master’s from William Carey.

Snell has been married to his wife, Charlotte, the Coordinator of Instruction and Student Services at MGCCC, for nearly 40 years. He has four children.

Tommy Snell's MGCCC Record
  Overall MACJC
Season Wins Losses Ties Wins Losses Ties
2000-2001            
2001-2002            
2002-2003            
2003-2004            
2004-2005            
2005-2006 118 8 0 64 4 0
2006-2007 103 52 0 62 3 0
2007-2008 101 60 1 54 0  0
2008-2009 100 23  0 69 2  0
2009-2010 91 25  0 48 2  0
2010-2011 40 23  0 34 2  0
2011-2012 98 28  0 53 0  0
2012-2013 88 42  0 48 4  0
2013-2014 92 32  0 43 4  0
2015-2015 107 18  0 53 2  0
2015-2016 79 6  0 46 2  0
2016-2017 95 20   52 8  
2017-2018 99 12   22 3  
2018-2019 89 5   28 0  
2019-2020 47 15   15 0  
2020-2021 54 18   34 7  

 

Career highlights

  • MGCCC golf coach since 2000
  • Inducted into NJCAA Men's Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame, 2015
  • Inducted into the Gulfport Sports Hall of Fame, 2019
  • MACJC Champions 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016; runners-up in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021
  • Region 23 Champions 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021; runners-up in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2017
  • 2021 Team Finished 12th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2019 Team Finished 3rd at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2018 Team won National Championship
  • 2017 Team Finished 2nd at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2017 NJCAA Individual National Champion Colin Troxler
  • 2016 Team Finished 4th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2015 Team Finished 3rd at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2014 Team Finished 3rd at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2013 Team Finished 6th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2012 Team Finished 5th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2011 Team Finished 12th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2010 Team Finished 8th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2009 Team Finished 9th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2008 Team Finished 13th at NJCAA Tournament
  • 2002-2007: Sent golfers to NJCAA Tournament
  • 2008 PING Coach of the Year
  • 2018 Dave Williams Coach of the Year
  • Seven-time MACJC Coach of the Year
  • Nine-time Region XXIII Coach of the Year
  • 2016 Mississippi Association of Coaches Community College Coach of the Year
  • 1996-2000: Coached St. John High School to five straight 2A state titles
  • Three-time MHSAA Coach of the Year
  • Former Mississippi Golf Association president
  • United States Golf Association rules official and committeeman
  • 2003-present: NCAA Division I national championship committee
  • Golf Coaches Association of America national advisory board
  • 1980: U.S. Open qualifying medalist
  • Winner of several amateur and professional tournaments
  • Sun Herald newspaper “In the Bag” Sunday columnist
  • Master’s Degree, William Carey College
  • Bachelor of Science Degree (English-Highest Honors), University of Southern Mississippi
  • 1970: Sam Houston High School graduate
  • 1967-69: Attended Gulfport East High School