HAVERHILL — The tumultuous tenure of Larry Snow as the Haverhill girls basketball coach has ended, but at least it was on his own terms.

Snow, who took over a declining program prior to the 2008-09 season, handed in his resignation yesterday, effective immediately, for health reasons.

"It's basically because of high blood pressure which, with the way things are going, could be a problem during the season," said Snow. "It's something I've dealt with, but things haven't come together like I had hoped ,and I don't want it to come to a head during the season."

Snow, 58, took over for legendary coach Kevin Woelfel, who suffered through a 3-15 record in his last season. With precious little experience, and no travel team or solid feeder system to rely on, Snow and the Hillies struggled through an 0-19 season last year.

Despite expending a great deal of energy to develop skills and generally jump-start the program, some parents were dissatisfied with Snow's performance and asked that he be removed as coach.

However, Haverhill principal Bernie Nangle and then athletic director Pete Shanahan, as well as the great majority of the team's players, rallied to Snow's defense and he retained his job early in the summer.

At that point, Snow once again started plotting ways to revive the program, with camps, clinics and conditioning programs all put into place.

But yesterday, Snow seemed frustrated with the lack of significant progress made.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to bring this group together to work and function as a unit to this point," said Snow. "It has not been from a lack of effort.

"I have worked over the last 15 months to jump start the program by soliciting volunteer assistance from alumni and other area basketball coaches to offer a spring shooting clinic, summer leagues, summer strength and conditioning opportunities, fall leagues, a pre-season clinic and open gyms.

"Although all of the players in the program have not participated, I am sure the players who did attend benefited.''

Snow indicated that he would be willing to assist the program as it transitions into hiring a new coach. Former Hillie standout Courtney Gagnon, who was scheduled to coach the JV's this year, is interested in coaching at some level.

Prior to coaching the Haverhill girls, Snow had a track record of success as a head coach.

He went 80-27 in five years in the mid-1990s coaching the Whittier Tech boys and 19-7 with the Northern Essex women in 2001-02.