TOWSON, Md. — Director of Athletics Steve Eigenbrot announced on Sunday afternoon that Pete Shinnick will become the new head coach at Towson University.
Shinnick, son of former Baltimore Colts linebacker Don Shinnick, led the University of West Florida to a Division II national championship in 2019 and had playoff appearances in four of the last five seasons.
"Pete Shinnick has been a winner at every stop," said Eigenbrot. “We were looking for a leader with a vision, who draws people into the program and towards him. Over the last 20 years, at three different institutions, Pete has done just that. He has demonstrated proven success as a head coach with what he has accomplished at West Florida, UNC Pembroke and Azusa Pacific. His leadership and character make him a perfect fit for Towson.”
Shinnick has a all-time coaching record of 159-67 spanning 20 seasons at West Florida, UNC Pembroke and Azusa Pacific.
"I followed this program since that national championship run and I always felt like this could be that type of program,” said Shinnick. “Once the job opened, I started to investigate and learn more about it and became excited about what kind of opportunity this is.
Shinnick was born in 1965, at Baltimore’s MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. His father, Don Shinnick, played 13 seasons at linebacker for the Baltimore Colts (1957-69). The elder Shinnick helped the Colts to the 1958 and 1959 NFL championships and played in Super Bowl III. He led the league in interceptions in 1959 and still holds the career record for interceptions by a linebacker with 37. After his playing career, he was an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.
Shinnick began his coaching career in 1995.
"This job had an amazing candidate pool, which allowed us to be very selective in our hire. Ultimately, character and fit for Towson drove us to this place. We listened to a lot of alumni, fans and supporters. They wanted someone who understands how to build and run a program and a history of meaningful and relevant success,” added Eigenbrot. “Obviously, the ability to develop players and recruit were high on the list, especially with this area being so rich in talent. Pete checked all those boxes and then some. Hiring a national champion fresh off a final four appearance. He has built two programs and led them quickly to success, which speaks to his ability to develop relationships and recruit when all he had to sell was a vision and his commitment to hard work.”
Shinnick will be introduced at a news conference in SECU Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. He has signed a five year contract.
