Meet the A.D.
A message from the Athletic Director
At Pope John Paul II Preparatory School, we believe competitive athletics are an integral part of the educational process and experience. Our student-athletes learn skills that prepare them for life that include teamwork, self-discipline, and commitment. Our athletic programs promote diversity, build community, and foster relationships. A Pope Prep student-athlete will learn to win with class, lose with dignity, and overcome adversity.
We expect our athletes, coaches, and fans to represent our school and community by displaying the highest standards of sportsmanship and self-discipline. Representing our school with Knights across one’s chest is a privilege. We seek to provide a pleasant experience for anyone who visits our campus by exhibiting mutual respect to opponents, officials, and guests by always abiding by the Golden Rule.
John Dempsey is originally from New Jersey and attended Kentucky Wesleyan College on a baseball scholarship, where he served as the team captain and a graduate assistant coach before relocating to Hendersonville, TN. John received his Master of Psychology from Tennessee State University and began his teaching career in the Sumner County School system. John taught history and science and was the head football coach at Gallatin Middle School while also assisting the varsity baseball program at Portland High School. John later transferred to Gallatin High School as a guidance counselor and head freshman football coach. In 1997, John received Region 5A and Sumner County Freshman Coach of the Year honors.
Meet the Assistant A.D.
Brian Sneed is a Nashville native and a 2006 Pope graduate. While at Pope, Brian was a multi-sport athlete. Brian continued his football career at Centre College in Danville, KY. After graduating from Center with a BS in Mathematics with a minor in Secondary Education, Brian returned to Pope in 2012 to teach mathematics and coach football. He left Pope for a short time to work at his alma mater, Centre College, and in 2016 he returned to Pope as the assistant athletic director. He was named head football coach in March 2022.