Chanticleers hire Missouri State’s Beard as HC

Coastal Carolina hired Missouri State‘s Ryan Beard as the Chanticleers’ next head football coach, it was announced Thursday.

Beard, 36, guided Missouri State in its transition from FCS to FBS, going 19-16 overall. The Bears entered FBS this fall and went 7-5, earning an invitation to the Xbox Bowl against Arkansas State on Dec. 18.

He replaces Tim Beck, who was fired after three seasons at Coastal Carolina.

“We landed one of the nation’s best young coaches to be the head coach of our football team,” Coastal Carolina athletic director Chance Miller said in a statement. “Teal Nation will love Ryan Beard’s energy, work-ethic and passion, and he is the perfect leader for this program. His track record of elevating teams, maximizing talent, and developing student-athletes speaks for itself. Everywhere he has been — from Western Kentucky, Louisville, and Central Michigan to leading Missouri State through a successful FBS transition — Coach Beard has shown an exceptional ability to inspire, transform, and win.”

Beard served as Missouri State’s defensive coordinator from 2020 to 2022 before being promoted to lead the program. At Western Kentucky, he was an All-Sun Belt defensive back and later coached the group.

Coastal Carolina has made six straight bowl appearances and reached its high mark under coach Jamey Chadwell in 2020, when the team went 11-1 and finished No. 12 in the final CFP standings. The Chanticleers are set to face Louisiana Tech on Dec. 30 in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.

“It’s an incredible honor to be named the head football coach at Coastal Carolina University,” Beard said in a statement. “This program has built a national reputation for competitiveness, toughness, and doing things the right way.”