Michigan Athletics lost one of its longtime former employees when retired public and media relations director Jim Schneider died July 21. Schneider worked with the football, baseball and ice hockey programs during his 30 years with the athletic department.

“Schneids” spent 30 years as a member of the communications team at Michigan Athletics before retiring prior to the 2007-08 academic year. He worked 18 years with the football team after spending the previous 12 years handling all aspects of media relations for the hockey program.

A passionate baseball fan, Schneider worked with the Wolverine baseball program for 29 seasons. Schneider would come to the ballpark even in retirement, offering his services and wealth of historical knowledge about the baseball program to the department.

He was honored for his dedication to the department in 2001, becoming an Honorary “M” Man. Schneider served as color analyst on Michigan baseball and hockey radio broadcasts for many years.

In addition, he served as the information director for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association from 1972-84. He was a long-standing member of the College Sports Information Directors of America.

A native of East Hampton, New York, Schneider was a 1974 graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he majored in journalism. While at BGSU, he worked with the Falcons Sports Information staff. After spending three years as a reporter at the Daily Sentinel-Tribune in Bowling Green, Ohio, Schneider was named assistant sports information director at U-M in 1978.

— Submitted by David Ablauf, Athletics