TOWSON, Md. – Two new assistant coaches, Braelon Roberts and Nick Verna, have joined the Towson University football coaching staff in preparation for the 2026 season.
 
Roberts will coach the wide receivers unit while Verna will coach the tight ends group.
 
Each coach joins the football team for the upcoming 2026 season under head coach Pete Shinnick, who will enter his fourth season.  Towson won its final two games of the 2025 season to finish 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the CAA.  It is the sixth time in the last seven fall seasons where Towson has finished .500 or better in league play.
 
Roberts comes to Towson after serving in the same role at Maine for the 2025 season, coaching an all-conference player and helping coordinate the passing game.  Previous to Maine, he spent two seasons as the wide receivers coach at Bucknell, being part of the top-rated passing offense in the Patriot League in 2024, also coaching that position group at Fresno State, Central Washington and Black Hills State.  The Utah State graduate was a former team captain and camp invitee for the then-Oakland Raiders.
 
Shinnick on Roberts: "Coming from Maine and having spent two years at Bucknell, Braelon brings a great recruiting background of the DMV. He knows the CAA and comes highly recommended from all who have worked with him. He coached an all-CAA wide receiver last year in Scott Woods and a First Team All-Patriot League Wide receiver in 2024. In 2024, he helped Bucknell University lead the Patriot League in passing offense, finishing 13^th-nationally as well in passing offense. We are excited to add him to our staff."
 
Verna has spent the last five seasons at Furman as the tight ends coach, recruiting coordinator and NFL pro liaison, helping the Paladins to 10-win seasons and playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023, including the SoCon title in 2023.  Previous to Furman, he was at the University of Charleston from April 2018 to June 2021 and Akron for four seasons as a student assistant then graduate assistant.  He graduated from Akron in 2015 after playing quarterback at Erie C.C. in New York.
 
Shinnick on Verna: "Having spent the last five years at Furman, Nick has proven to be a great developer of tight ends. He coached 2025 First Team All-SoCon tight end, Joshua Burrell, 2024 Freshman All-American Jackson Pryor and 2023 2^nd Team All-SoCon tight end Mason Pine, who was selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game. He also coached three-time All-American tight end Ryan Miller and many others. He brings a ton of experience in helping tight ends grow and develop. We are excited that Nick is joining our staff."