Eric Schneider has seen Trinity from every angle: in the classroom, on the court and now in the rearview mirror as he moves to Atlanta to join the Westminster Schools.
Schneider graduated from Trinity in 2005 and continued his basketball career at Sewanee: The University of the South. He returned to Trinity part time as head JV boys basketball coach in 2011 before pursuing his master’s at the University of Washington.
In 2016, Schneider began teaching at Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier, Tennessee, and was entering his fourth year when he was offered a position in Trinity’s mathematics department in 2019. He recalls being excited but slightly intimidated by Trinity’s caliber.
“It felt like I was going to have to up my game to be able to just teach Trinity students,” Schneider said. “And they proved me right.”
During his time here, Schneider taught Geometry, Algebra II, regular and Honors Pre-Calculus, College Algebra and AP Calculus AB. After another short stint as JV coach, he became the head varsity coach in fall 2022.
“He’s a get-down-to-business guy, but at the same time, he’ll form relationships with the kids,” Class of 2025 alum David Hull said. “He never wanted to leave someone in the dust and let them fail. He’s always there to help, and I think I got to see that both in the classroom and on the court.”
In his first year back, Schneider established a staple of his classroom: the lap system, where a student is sent on a lap around the building to reflect on their behavior.
“A student was just being annoying to the group he was working with, so I told him to go take a lap,” Schneider said. “It’s kind of taken on a life of its own to where it seems like students are now familiar with it when they show up in my classroom.”
As an assistant dean, Schneider also received a reputation across campus for being a dress-code stickler.
“Over the years when I’ve been walking around campus or walking into the Grille, I walk past a group of boys and they spot me, and they all just start tucking their shirts in,” Schneider said. “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t enjoy writing people up, and I’m very glad that Westminster is not going to have a dress code where I have to worry about it every day.”
In addition to being an authority figure and mentor to his students, Schneider always made time to be a friend. Hull’s favorite memory of him came from 10th grade, when Hull missed a winning shot in a game that would decide the team’s seed for districts.
“Mr. Schneider came into the locker room after the game, sat me down and talked it out,” Hull said. “It really formed a close bond, and I think it shows the type of guy he is. We just lost the game … but he was still there for me and helped me through hard times.”
Schneider’s decision to leave the school was a hard one. His biggest concern was the same reason he moved back to Orlando six years ago: being close to his family.
“I got the offer (to work at Westminster) on Friday, and then my nephew had a T-ball game the next day,” Schneider said. “We just met up at my parents’ place to talk it over with my sister and my mom, and they were sad but also very happy for me because they saw what a great opportunity it was.”
Schneider believes the Westminster Schools’ location in Georgia will allow him to stay well connected with his family in Orlando as well as his college friends in Nashville, both of which are a few hours’ drive away. He is excited to get to know the new institution and its distinct campus.
“When I stepped on the campus, the weather was really nice,” Schneider said. “It also just felt like I was at a college.”
Going forward, Schneider hopes to see a shift in the school’s culture to fully embrace the non-academic parts of the high school experience.
“I would like to see the school show as much interest in athletics and the fine arts as we (do) in STEM, because I do think we want to develop whole individuals here and not just a bunch of STEM students,” Schneider said.
Schneider made his final contribution to Trinity this June, teaching a week of the summer Honors Geometry course. His departure will leave a significant mark on campus.
“The basketball program will definitely miss him,” Hull said. “It is a big loss for the math department as well … and also just the overall vibe on campus because I know his classroom was always a popular spot for students to go if they were ever bored or needed help with anything.”
While he will no longer be a faculty member, Schneider will remain a part of the Trinity family by returning at Christmas for the annual alumni basketball game. His time at Trinity will hold a special place in his heart — above all, due to the students he had the chance to connect with.
“Students here are bright and willing to put in the work and capable of making me laugh every day, which I’ll miss,” Schneider said. “It makes each day coming to work feel unique (and) rewarding.”
