Coach Nic Snowden Leads the Next Generation with Purpose
On one wall of Nic Snowden’s office at Loganville High School hangs a decoration showcasing all of his coaching stops. Today, he serves as the Head Football Coach for the Loganville Red Devils. His career has included time as a graduate assistant at Kennesaw State and coaching roles at Whitfield Academy and North Cobb High School. But where it all began was on Hwy 81 — at Loganville Christian Academy.
Nic graduated from LCA in 2014 before playing for Kennesaw State all four years and entering the coaching ranks. Despite the many destinations along his journey, Nic credits LCA with providing his foundation. “It allowed me to understand the importance of who God is in my life. Understanding that was the first time when I transferred from a public school to a private school, seeing God kind of intertwined in my everyday school life. Seeing how there's different leaders and teachers at the school that embody what it looks like to follow Christ and still be a normal human being. We're not necessarily at church all the time and that was really nice to see.”
Before his coaching days, Nic was an active LCA student who participated in a variety of activities during his three years there. He played football, baseball, and basketball, was a member of Beta Club and the National Honor Society, and took part in theater with Mrs. Cheryl Ingle. During his senior year, he also served on the student council. A lesser-known aspect of Nic’s time at LCA is that he sang in the Chapel Band. As a junior and senior, he was part of back-to-back state championship football teams, losing only a handful of games. After graduation, Nic enrolled at Kennesaw State and played on the inaugural football team for the Owls. Three years later, Kennesaw State won the Big South Conference Championship. He graduated with a degree in Health and Physical Education.
Nic returned to LCA to coach in 2019 before going back to Kennesaw State to earn his master’s degree in special education. Fast forward to January 17, 2025, and Nic is being introduced as the head football coach less than 10 miles from his alma mater. LCA Founders, Doug & Christy Monda, his former head coach Andre King, Dr. Mark Davis, and volleyball coach Mark Dossett attended the official announcement as well. Connections with former teachers made the transition back to his hometown area seamless. “It is a blessing to be back,” Nic said. “It would be way harder to take a first head job in a community that I don’t know as opposed to a place where I have connections. That has been an amazing thing.”
There are many facets to Nic’s coaching philosophy, but most of them trace back to his time playing at LCA under King. The Red Devils hold game day devotions every Friday night, promoting unity and teamwork. One of the main things Nic emphasizes is for his players to take pride in everything they do — from summer conditioning to workouts to practice to performance under the Friday night lights. Over the summer, about 60 players attended a three-day Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) camp at the University of West Georgia. During the day, campers played football. At night, they gathered to hear the Gospel through the lens of multiple speakers. More than just being their coach, Nic is intentional about providing guidance and direction to his players. “I try to be real, talk life into the boys and do a good job of understanding that I’ve been in their shoes before. I’ve been with them,” Nic said. “I’ve been 17 and didn't know what to do. As long as I can be real and authentic with them, they can understand that, ‘Hey, I’ve got your back. I’m not trying to be harsh to you or be too soft on you. I’m just trying to help you so that way you’re better when you leave here.’”
The philosophies of his former coaches have influenced Nic so much that he often finds himself repeating their words to his current players. One of his college coaches used to say, “You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse every day.” Nic didn’t like hearing that when he was playing, but now, with more understanding under his belt, he passes that message on at Loganville. “I’m very consistent with the kids about trying to maximize each day, not taking anything for granted,” Nic said. “What can I do in the classroom relationally, physically on the football field to make the most out of my time on Earth?”
Nic summed up his return to the Loganville/Walton area as a “God thing.” He has been married to Ansley Tiencken Snowden (LCA Class of 2015) for the past five years. Nic enjoys watching the NFL — he’s a Dallas Cowboys fan — and college football, as well as traveling, especially to the beach. But football remains at the forefront of his life. It’s not just the X’s and O’s that excite him about the sport, but the opportunity to pour into high school players and help shape them.
“Everyone wants to win championships and all those things, but the biggest thing is you can help a kid or a young man have the light bulb come on to understanding, ‘What's really important is what I'm doing. Now who I am as a person, what's my character like.’ That's really, really important. When they start to get that, that's when it's, I would say, the most rewarding of all, because the winning takes care of itself in a lot of respects. You're not having to coach character flaws as much as you are as you're coaching technical things.”