TOWSON, Md. – After nine seasons at the helm of the Towson University baseball program, head coach Matt Tyner has announced that he will retire, effective July 1.

Towson's 2026 season will conclude Saturday afternoon when Tyner's team wraps up a three-game series with Northeastern. The Tigers have four games remaining on the schedule – all at Brooks Robinson Field at John B. Schuerholz Park. Tyner will be honored before Tuesday's afternoon game versus UMBC.

"I'd like to thank Coach Tyner for nearly a decade of service to Towson. I am grateful for all that he has done to provide a quality experience for our Tiger baseball student-athletes," remarked Vice President for Athletics, Dr. Steven Eigenbrot. "Matt's patience with our efforts to build back support for our baseball program speaks volumes about his character, as well as his commitment to being a great teammate. He has proven to be a strong fundraiser and he leaves this program better resourced and positioned for success than it has been in quite some time. We appreciate all that he has done to get us to this place and wish him nothing but happiness in his next phase of life."

Named Towson's head coach in June 2017 after stints at Richmond, Bellarmine and Butler, Tyner has coached 12 student-athletes who were named to one of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) teams, including Richie Palacios, the fifth Towson Tiger to earn a spot on a major league roster.

In addition, pitcher Ethan Pecko was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) amateur draft and is currently the No. 6 prospect in the Houston Astros organization.

A power-hitting outfielder at the University of Miami (1977-80), Tyner used his connections to take Towson to play power programs like Miami, LSU, Maryland, NC State, Virginia, Duke and Wake Forest during his tenure.

"Towson was the perfect place for me," Tyner said. "I was a walk-on at Miami and always consider myself a walk-on. Before I got this job, I had a conversation with my mentor Skip Bertman (former Miami assistant and longtime LSU head coach) about what Towson was looking for in its next head coach. He told me Towson wanted to take what they had and create a better footprint by graduating players, give them a better student-athlete experience and fundraise. The goal was not just to improve the wins and losses, but the overall picture."

After a temporary leave right before the shortened 2020 season after the passing of his wife, Laura, Tyner returned to the bench that fall after the pandemic and in 2021, Towson earned a berth in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament for the first time since 2013, finishing in second place in the North Division.

A native of Decatur, Illinois, Tyner was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the ninth round of the 1980 MLB Draft. He spent four years in the Orioles system, leading the entire organization with 33 home runs in 1981. His professional career came to a halt after the 1983 season after multiple surgeries for bone chips in his right elbow.

"I have loved this game since I was four years old - 63 years is a long time to love something," Tyner added. "I've given baseball my all and it has given me so much in return. That being said, it is time. I struggle to do things like swing a fungo with any force or throw batting practice. Those things are important to me. I am grateful for the decades that I've enjoyed this game and I am looking forward to my next chapter."

The Towson Athletics department has formalized a search committee and will conduct a nationwide search for its next head coach. In the coming weeks, Towson will conduct several engagements with alumni, supporters and current student-athletes to inform this process – more information to follow.