Pete Shinnick (born May 15, 1965) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the Towson University in Towson, Maryland. As the head coach of West Florida, Shinnick won the school's first football national championship in 2019. The football team began play in 2016. 2017 was a big year for Shinnick, as he led the University of West Florida Argonauts to the NCAA Division II playoffs, making them the fastest team to do so (two years).[1] He broke the record he held at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, that being three years. Shinnick also won the 2017 AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year.[2] He later won the 2017 AFCA Division II Coach of the Year.[3] On December 21, 2019, Shinnick won the NCAA D-II National Championship with the UWF Argos in just the program's 4th year of existence.[4]
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Towson |
| Conference | CAA Football |
| Record | 5–6 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | May 15, 1965 |
| Playing career | |
| 1983–1986 | Colorado |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1988 | Richmond (OL) |
| 1989 | Arkansas (GA/DL) |
| 1990–1991 | Clemson (GA/TE) |
| 1992–1993 | Oregon State (RC) |
| 1994 | Northern Michigan (OL) |
| 1995–1997 | St. Cloud State (OC) |
| 1998 | Humboldt State (OL) |
| 1999–2005 | Azusa Pacific |
| 2005–2013 | UNC Pembroke |
| 2014–2022 | West Florida |
| 2023–present | Towson |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 164–73 |
| Tournaments | 12–6 (NAIA playoffs) 9–4 (NCAA D-II playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 NCAA Division II (2019) 2 GSC (2021–2022) | |
| Awards | |
| AFCA Division II Coach of the Year (2017) AFCA Regional Coach of the Year (2017) 2× Don Hansen National Division II Co-Coach of the Year (2017, 2019) | |
Shinnick previously served as the head football at Azusa Pacific University from 1999 and 2005 and at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke from the program's inception until 2014. After leading Azusa Pacific to an overall record of 53–22, Shinnick was hired as UNC Pembroke's first head coach on December 13, 2005.[5] Over seven seasons at Pembroke, Shinnick compiled an overall record of 50–24.
Coaching career
editAzusa Pacific
editShinnick was the eighth head football coach at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California and he held that position for seven seasons, from 1999 until 2005, compiling a record of 53–22.[6]
UNC Pembroke
editIn 2005, Shinnick was named the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke Braves, the first football coach at the school since the school discontinued the program in the 1950s.[7]
West Florida
editOn January 31, 2014, the University of West Florida announced it had hired Shinnick as the head coach of its newly established football team, which began play in 2016. On November 12, 2017, the Argos had made the playoffs in only the second season, making them the fastest team in NCAA history to do so. They also went to the NCAA D-II National Championship game the same year, breaking another record. On December 21, 2019, Shinnick won the NCAA D-II National Championship with the UWF Argos in just the program's 4th year of existence.[4]
Towson
editOn December 11, 2022, Shinnick was hired to become the head football coach at Towson University.[8]
Personal life
editShinnick has four children. His father, Don Shinnick, played linebacker for the Baltimore Colts for 13 seasons.[9]
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | NAIA/AFCA# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azusa Pacific Cougars (NAIA independent) (1999–2005) | |||||||||
| 1999 | Azusa Pacific | 9–3 | L NAIA Semifinal | 7 | |||||
| 2000 | Azusa Pacific | 6–4 | L NAIA First Round | 16 | |||||
| 2001 | Azusa Pacific | 4–5 | |||||||
| 2002 | Azusa Pacific | 9–1 | 16 | ||||||
| 2003 | Azusa Pacific | 8–2 | L NAIA First Round | 13 | |||||
| 2004 | Azusa Pacific | 11–3 | L NAIA Semifinal | 4 | |||||
| 2005 | Azusa Pacific | 6–4 | L NAIA First Round | 12 | |||||
| Azusa Pacific: | 53–22 | ||||||||
| UNC Pembroke (NCAA Division II independent) (2007–2013) | |||||||||
| 2007 | UNC Pembroke | 4–7 | |||||||
| 2008 | UNC Pembroke | 9–1 | |||||||
| 2009 | UNC Pembroke | 9–2 | L NCAA Division II First Round | 20 | |||||
| 2010 | UNC Pembroke | 5–5 | |||||||
| 2011 | UNC Pembroke | 8–3 | |||||||
| 2012 | UNC Pembroke | 6–4 | |||||||
| 2013 | UNC Pembroke | 9–2 | L NCAA Division II Second Round | 15 | |||||
| UNC Pembroke: | 50–24 | ||||||||
| West Florida Argonauts (Gulf South Conference) (2016–2022) | |||||||||
| 2016 | West Florida | 5–6 | 3–5 | 6th | |||||
| 2017 | West Florida | 11–4 | 5–3 | 4th | L NCAA Division II Championship | 2 | |||
| 2018 | West Florida | 6–5 | 4–4 | 5th | |||||
| 2019 | West Florida | 13–2 | 7–1 | 2nd | W NCAA Division II Championship | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | No team—COVID-19 | ||||||||
| 2021 | West Florida | 9–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division II First Round | 12 | |||
| 2022 | West Florida | 12–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division II Semifinal | 4 | |||
| West Florida: | 56–21 | 31–15 | |||||||
| Towson Tigers (Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference) (2023–present) | |||||||||
| 2023 | Towson | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–6th | |||||
| 2024 | Towson | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Towson: | 5–6 | 4–4 | |||||||
| Total: | 164–73 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
edit- ^ "UWF football earns historic playoff bid". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
- ^ "UWF's Shinnick named AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
- ^ "UWF's Shinnick wins AFCA Division II Coach of the Year". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Wallace, Eric (December 21, 2019). "Freshman QB Austin Reed shatters records as West Florida wins Division II national title". USA Today. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
- ^ Pope, Tomas (December 14, 2005). "Braves hire Shinnick as coach". The Fayetteville Observer.
- ^ "Football Azusa Pacific Year by Year" (PDF). Football Media Guide. Azusa Pacific University Athletics. May 22, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ Bigelo, Scott (December 15, 2005). "UNCP names Peter Shinnick head football coach". press releases. University of North Carolina-Pembroke athletics. Archived from the original on June 2, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ Towson Football [@Towson_FB] (December 11, 2022). "Everyone welcome our new 🐯 football head coach, Pete Shinnick!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 11, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Pete Shinnick". towsontigers.com. Retrieved April 18, 2024.