"We're excited about Zach becoming our new varsity football head coach," said WHS Activities Director Bill Deckelman. "The administration wants to do everything possible to help him be successful."

Schneider has been an assistant football coach at Washington for the last three seasons, serving as offensive coordinator. He was instrumental in helping put in the Blue Jays' spread offense two seasons ago.

WHS football players were informed of Schneider's hiring Tuesday morning.

"Zach is very passionate about football and the kids. He has a very good rapport with the players," Deckelman said. "He's a product of the system our football program runs right now. You can't argue with the success Joel Wells and Jeff Duncan have had here in the past. He has his own ideas and goals. He wants this to be his program. I like the enthusiasm he has for the game and the passion he has for the kids."

Schneider, 31, is a 1996 graduate of Washington High School, where he played quarterback for the Blue Jays.

He went on to play football for one season at Northwest Missouri State University and three seasons at Central Methodist University.

His previous football coaching experience, all as an assistant, is three years at Washington, two years at Logan-Rogersville High School and one year at Central Methodist.

A total of 11 candidates applied for the WHS football job, eight of them were interviewed.

"We had some very qualified candidates. Each person was different," Deckelman said. "We thought Zach was the best fit for our football program."

Schneider, a social studies teacher at WHS, is getting married next week to Mandy Ballmann, also a Washington native.