When the 2022 season ended, Towson found itself in the middle of the Coastal Athletic Association standings at 4-4 (6-5 overall) and in need of a new head coach.

After a 26-year relationship with longtime coach Rob Ambrose, the Tigers will be headed in a new direction. 

Ambrose graduated from Towson in 1993 after playing for the Tigers from 1989-1991. He then was an assistant with the team from 1992-2000 and the head football coach from 2009-2022.

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2022 season, which ended with a 27-7 win over Hampton for a fourth consecutive victory, Pete Shinnick was announced as the team’s new head coach. 

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Special teams coordinator Lyndon Johnson served a brief interim role, and Shinnick, who helped the University of West Florida to a Division II national title in 2019, will begin the new era in Towson football against Maryland on Sept. 2.

Shinnick is the fifth head coach in Towson football history.  

CAA Football returns eight programs that finished with winning records in 2023. That includes William & Mary, which went 11-2 overall and tied with New Hampshire atop the CAA standings with a 7-1 record. 

CAA football action will be streamed live on FloFootball and the FloSports app, including all of William & Mary’s CAA games.

Here’s What To Know About Towson Football:

What Year Did Towson Start Playing Football?

The Towson football team debuted in 1969 and turned in a 4-4-1 record. 

It didn’t take long for the team to gain momentum, going 6-2 the next year for its first winning season. The 1974 campaign was the Tigers’ first, and only, undefeated season (10-0), while 1976 ended with the Tigers falling to St. John’s (Minnesota) in the Division III championship game.

When Did Towson Join Division I College Football? 

Towson gained notoriety for its rise through the football ranks, having competed in all three levels of the NCAA—Division III (1969-1978), Division II (1979-1986) and Division I-AA/FCS (1987-present).

Even more special, the Tigers are the only team to have made the postseason at each level.

Their final years at the Division II level included three playoff berths from 1983-1986, and their Division I debut in 1987 resulted in a 4-6 overall record under Phil Albert.

How Many Times Has Towson Football Made It To The FCS Playoffs?

Towson has been fortunate to experience success at each level of competition and is the only program to have made the postseason at all three NCAA levels—Division III, Division II and Division I-AA/FCS.

The Tigers’ most recent playoff appearance came in 2018, but the run ended with a first-round loss to Duquesne. 

Towson has made three appearances in the FCS Playoffs (2011, 2013 and 2018) and compiled a 3-3 record. The Tigers’ best finish was a runner-up effort to North Dakota State in 2013.

Previously, the Tigers made the Division III Playoffs in 1976 and the Division II Playoffs in 1983, 1984 and 1986.

When Did Towson Football Join The CAA?

Towson was an independent team until 1997, when it joined the Patriot League. In 2004, the Tigers moved on to the CAA predecessor, the Atlantic 10 Conference, where they remained until the official start of CAA Football for the 2007 season. 

The Tigers own a 51-69 record in CAA action, with a best-of 7-1, which came during the 2011 season. The year prior, Towson was 0-8 in CAA play and 1-10 overall.

Has Towson Football Ever Won The CAA title?

Yes.

The Tigers experienced a worst-to-first jolt from 2010 to 2011. The turnaround started with a 1-10 record in 2010 (0-8 in CAA play) to a 9-3 overall performance in 2011 that included taking the CAA title with a 7-1 conference record.

The positive momentum continued in 2012, as the team went 6-2 in conference play to share the title with New Hampshire, Richmond and Villanova. Despite being co-champions, the Tigers were not invited to the playoffs.

Both conference titles came under Rob Ambrose.

Where Does The Towson Football Team Play?

The Towson Tigers play their home football games at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas Stadium. 

The venue, which opened in 1978, also is home to the school’s lacrosse teams, field hockey team and track & field teams.

The stadium is named for NFL Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who was the father of three Towson students and was committed to finding a corporate sponsor for the venue. He died in 2002.

Donald “Doc” Minnegan was a former Towson coach and athletic director. The stadium, originally called Towson Stadium, was renamed Minnegan Stadium in 1983, before being renamed and rededicated in 2003 to its current iteration. 

A $32 million renovation at the turn of the century helped expand the facility to a capacity of nearly 11,200 spectators, and stadium-specific renovations, completed in 2002, added 6,000 more seats, new artificial turf, concession stands, restrooms, tickets booths, press box and more.

In 2008, Towson became the first FCS school to install a Daktronics high-definition video and scoring system. 

Who Is The Towson Football Head Coach?

The 2023 season will be the Towson debut for new head coach Pete Shinnick, who moved north from the University of West Florida, where he coached from 2014-2022 and was named National Coach of the Year two times.

His Argonauts team went 12-2 in 2022 and fell to Ferris State in the Division II national semifinals. His overall record at UWF was 56-21. 

Prior to his time at West Florida, Shinnick was tasked with bringing back football to UNC Pembroke for the first time in five decades (2006). He coached there from 2007-2013, and his final team reached as high as No. 8 in the polls.

His coaching career also included stops at Richmond (1988), Arkansas (1989), Clemson (1990-1991), Oregon State (1992-1993), Northern Michigan (1994), St. Cloud State (1995-1997) and Humboldt State (1998).

As a player, Shinnick was an offensive lineman at the University of Colorado, from which he graduated in 1988.

Shinnick’s father, Don, played 13 seasons as a linebacker for the Baltimore Colts. He was a teammate of Johnny Unitas. 

Who Is Towson Football’s Biggest Rival? 

Towson University and Morgan State University share a rivalry called The Battle for Greater Baltimore. The two schools are just five miles apart, making them the closest pair of teams in the FCS.

The first time they played was in 1979, with Morgan State winning. Towson won the most recent meeting in 2022 (29-21) and owns a 21-6 advantage in the rivalry. In fact, Towson now has won the last five meetings (2011, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022).

In 2021, the rivalry was renewed through 2027, with the schools alternating as the host.

In 2023, they’ll meet on Sept. 16 at Morgan State.

Towson also has long histories with James Madison (6-23-1) and Delaware (9-13).

Where Is Towson University?

Towson University is in Towson, Maryland.

The institution was authorized in 1865 and opened in 1866 in downtown Baltimore as the Maryland State Normal School, established to train and certify teachers. It started with 11 female students and three faculty of drawing, music and calisthenics in the final year of the Civil War.

In 1916, three farms became the Maryland State Normal School at Towson. 

In 1927, Doc Minnegan began building the school’s athletic programs. 

In 1935, the name changed again (Maryland State Teachers College), and a four-year degree was offered. 

In 1963, the school became Towson College, and the Towson Tiger made its first appearance.

Finally, in 1976, the transition to Towson University was complete.

Notable Towson Alums

• Amy Schumer (comedian)
• Stacy Keibler (actress)
• Charles Dutton (actor)
• Sheila Dixon (former Baltimore mayor)
• Kacy Catanzaro (American Ninja Warrior)
• Tamir Goodman (professional basketball player)

Drafted to NFL: Randy Bielski (1980), Dave Meggett (1989), Tony Vinson (1994), Jermon Bushrod (2007), Terrence West (2014), Tye Smith (2015).

Towson Football Schedule 2023 

• Sept. 2: at Maryland, 3:30 p.m. ET
• Sept. 9: Monmouth, 6 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Sept. 16: at Morgan State, 6 p.m. ET
• Sept. 23: Norfolk State, 4 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Sept. 30: at New Hampshire, 3 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 7: UAlbany, 4 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 21: at William & Mary, 3:30 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Oct. 28: Delaware, 4 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 4: at North Carolina A&T, 1p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 11: at Villanova, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports
• Nov. 18: Rhode Island, 1 p.m. ET, FloSports