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, competing in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Shinnick came to Towson after extraordinary success with two start-up programs in Division II, first at UNC Pembroke (2007âÂÂ2013), then at West Florida (2016âÂÂ2022). After taking UNC Pembroke to the playoffs in the programâÂÂs third season, he then led West Florida to the playoffs in their second season, before coaching them to a national championship in just their fourth season. Shinnick was named 2017 AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year and 2017 AFCA Division II Coach of the Year.
Shinnick previously served as the head football at Azusa Pacific University from 1999 to 2005.
Shinnick 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 53âÂÂ22. He led the Cougars to the NAIA playoffs five times, including two national semifinal appearances.
Shinnick was hired as UNC Pembroke's head coach on December 13, 2005, tasked with restarting a program that had been discontinued in the 1950s. Over seven seasons at Pembroke, Shinnick compiled an overall record of 50âÂÂ24 and led the Braves to two postseason appearances.
On 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.
On December 11, 2022, Shinnick was hired as head football coach at Towson University.
Shinnick has four children. His father, Don Shinnick, played linebacker for the Baltimore Colts for 13 seasons.