Walter Shinn completed his 35th year as the head coach of the women’s tennis team and officially retired May 31. He served 22 years at the helm of the men’s tennis program. He started with the women in the 1979-80 campaign and with the men in the 1991-92 season.
His all-time record as the women's coach is 536-212 and finished 274-159 as the men's coach.
Shinn is a five-time NAIA Coach of the Year in women’s tennis, having led Flagler College to five national titles in those years (1987-88-89-90-91). He is also a member of the NAIA Coaches Hall of Fame, inducted in 2000. Shinn was also named ITA/Wilson Coach of the Year. He was named the Peach Belt Conference's Men's Tennis Co-Coach of the Year in 2011 and the Women's Tennis Co-Coach of the Year in 2014. Shinn was also selected as the ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year in 2014.
He coached over 60 NAIA All-Americans in women’s tennis and over 20 on the men’s side. In 1988, all six members of the women’s team were selected as All-Americans. Helena Dahlstrom was named NAIA Outstanding Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993 and Ricardo Mena earned the same honor in 1999. Shinn recently coached two-time NCAA Division II All-Americans David Cotrone (2010, 2011) and Gino Ramirez (2010, 2011).
Shinn began at Flagler back in 1975 as the assistant director of admissions and also the director of the young life program.
He and his wife, Martha, reside in St. Augustine. They have a grown son, Wes.
| Walter Shinn Year-by-Year |
| Women's | | Men's |
| Year | W-L | Pct. | | W-L | Pct. |
| 1979-80 | 14-10 | .583 | | | |
| 1980-81 | 16-9 | .640 | | | |
| 1981-82 | 21-8 | .724 | | | |
| 1982-83 | 25-6 | .806 | | | |
| 1983-84 | 20-5 | .800 | | | |
| 1984-85 | 26-4 | .867 | | | |
| 1985-86 | 25-3 | .893 | | | |
| 1986-87 | 24-2 | .923 | | | |
| 1987-88 | 21-1 | .955 | | | |
| 1988-89 | 23-1 | .958 | | | |
| 1989-90 | 21-5 | .808 | | | |
| 1990-91 | 18-4 | .818 | | | |
| 1991-92 | 20-3 | .870 | | 13-15 | .464 |
| 1992-93 | 18-1 | .947 | | 14-6 | .700 |
| 1993-94 | 15-5 | .750 | | 18-5 | .783 |
| 1994-95 | 7-10 | .412 | | 17-9 | .654 |
| 1995-96 | 15-5 | .750 | | 16-7 | .696 |
| 1996-97 | 14-5 | .737 | | 8-11 | .421 |
| 1997-98 | 13-5 | .722 | | 15-3 | .833 |
| 1998-99 | 17-6 | .739 | | 23-2 | .920 |
| 1999-00 | 16-6 | .727 | | 16-6 | .727 |
| 2000-01 | 22-4 | .846 | | 20-3 | .870 |
| 2001-02 | 17-6 | .739 | | 13-6 | .684 |
| 2002-03 | 2-5 | .286 | | 7-5 | .583 |
| 2003-04 | 15-6 | .714 | | 13-5 | .722 |
| 2004-05 | 8-8 | .500 | | 12-5 | .706 |
| 2005-06 | 2-11 | .182 | | 10-6 | .667 |
| 2006-07 | 4-9 | .308 | | 7-6 | .538 |
| 2007-08 | 8-9 | .471 | | 7-8 | .467 |
| 2008-09 | 12-6 | .667 | | 10-8 | .556 |
| 2009-10 | 14-8 | .636 | | 14-9 | .609 |
| 2010-11 | 12-7 | .632 | | 12-8 | .600 |
| 2011-12 | 10-10 | .500 | | 5-13 | .278 |
| 2012-13 | 5-14 | .357 | | 4-14 | .222 |
| 2013-14 | 16-5 | .762 | | |
| Totals | 536-212 | .717 | | 274-159 | .633 |
