December 9, 2019
Contact: Jason Hogue, Director of Marketing Communications, 402-872-2429
Peru, Nebraska – Steve Schneider announced his retirement at the Bobcat Football Team’s annual banquet on December 8, 2019. Schneider had served as head coach of the team since 2012. He also served as Peru State’s Athletic Director from 2011 to 2018 before stepping down to focus on the football team for the last two seasons.
Dr. Dan Hanson, President of Peru State College, said, “Steve brought an important level of organization and professionalism to managing both the Athletic Department and the football team. His leadership and experience will have a lasting impression on both organizations.”id="attachment_18846" align="" width="243"
Steve SchneiderUnder Schneider the Bobcats’ record was 39-49. In 2017 the team was second in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North Division.
Schneider’s tenure as head coach saw the team produce eight Academic All-Americans, including two Academic All-Americans of the Year, Logan Paben and Gunnar Orcutt. The team also had 20 All-District Academic First Team Honorees and 41 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes.
Wayne Albury, Athletic Director, writes, “I would like to thank Coach Schneider for his service to students and leading the Bobcat football program. Under his leadership, many players excelled on the field, in the class room and in the community.”
Two team members, Mitch Boshart and Logan Paben, were named A.O. Duer National Winners, the highest honor from the NAIA for a junior student-athlete. Schneider also coached Peru State’s only Good Works Team member, Gunnar Orcutt.
On the field, the team had one All-American, Tyler Ford, and one National Special Teams Player of the Week, Greg Conry.
Schneider was a part of to two fundraising operations on campus: renovating the historic Oak Bowl and renovating the vacant Peru Elementary School into the new Field House. Schneider helped raise funds for both projects and the Field House’s Jerry Joy Locker Room.
Prior to joining the College, Schneider served as vice-president for institutional advancement at Midland University. Prior to that position, he was Director of Athletics for the Warriors from 1992-2007.
During his tenure at Midland, Schneider also served as Head Softball Coach from 1988-92 where he was a two-time NAIA District 11 Coach of the Year. Schneider was also the Warriors’ Head Football Coach from 1992-2001. He took the Warriors to the NAIA National Championship Playoffs in 1994, earning conference Coach of the Year honors. He served as co-coach of the football team with Casey Thiele in 2007.
Schneider was inducted into the Midland University Warrior Athletic Hall of Fame in October of 2015. An alumnus of the University, he was is inducted into the Hall of Fame for his outstanding service and dedication to Midland Athletics.
Midland University released in 2015, “Steve Schneider, ’80, was an integral part of the Midland community for 32 years, 1976-2008. Steve was a standout on the Midland Football Team for ’76-’79 as a defensive lineman and he helped guide the Warriors to three conference championships. In ’79, Steve was a captain on a team that won a conference championship with a 9-0 regular season record and qualified for the NAIA National Championship Playoffs.”
DeOn’tae Pannell, the team’s Defensive Coordinator, will lead the program while the College conducts a national search for a new coach. Pannell has been with Peru State since 2015.
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