TOWSON, Md. — Pete Shinnick is home and he is in stripes.
"[I'm] really excited to come back. [I] couldn’t pick a better place to have the opportunity to be a head coach," he said.
Shinnick was hired over the weekend as the new head coach of the Towson University football team. He was introduced on Wednesday. The 57-year-old, who was born in Baltimore, signed a five-year contract.
"[I'm] just really fired up to get back to this area and embrace this community and make the most of this opportunity," he said. "It’s been exciting. It’s been invigorating. I haven’t slept much. I’ve talked to a lot of people. There is a lot of potential here."
Shinnick usually turns potential into winners. A two-time Division II national coach of the year, he arrives at Towson after spending the last eight years at Div. II West Florida where he started the school’s football program in 2016 and won the 2019 national championship.
You know he’ll hit the local recruiting trail hard.
"If you take that radius of two and a half hours around here there are a lot of very good football players."
Shinnick replaces Rob Ambrose, whose contract was not renewed after the season. Shinnick owns a 159-67 career record spread over three schools in 20 seasons as a head coach. He was a West Florida from 2016-22, UNC Pembroke from 2007-13 and Azusa Pacific from 1999-2005.
"Aside from the amazing 700 percent win-loss percentage - that stuck out a lot - [and being a] national champion, to me one of the things that was awesome about Pete was his authenticity," said Towson Director of Athletics Steve Eigenbrot.
Shinnick hopes to announce additions to his staff over the next couple of days.
It is fitting Shinnick will now make his living inside Johnny Unitas Stadium more than 50 years after after Shinnick’s father, Don, made his living playing alongside Unitas on the field.
Don Shinnick starred for the Baltimore Colts from 1957-1969. He is still the NFL record-holder for interceptions by a linebacker (37).
"I’ll have a picture up in my office of Johnny and my dad hugging after a game and it will be a constant memory," said Pete Shinnick. "So, every time that name is mentioned it brings up some really great memories of my dad."
Now it’s time for Shinnick to make his own football memories back in Baltimore.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
