Ryan Beard Named Head Coach of Coastal Carolina Football

CONWAY, S.C. — Coastal Carolina University has named Ryan Beard as the Chanticleers’ new head football coach, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation Chance Miller announced Thursday. Beard, who becomes the fifth head coach in program history, arrives in Conway following a highly successful run at Missouri State University. During his tenure, he led the Bears through one of the most impressive multi-year climbs in recent history, highlighted by a winning record at the FBS level in 2025.

“We landed one of the nation’s best young coaches to be the head coach of our football team,” said Miller. “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. His trajectory in this profession is remarkable, and we believe his best years are still ahead of him. We are thrilled to welcome Coach Beard, his wife Katie, and their children Beau, Lainey, Jacob and Kailey to Coastal Carolina.”

Beard was introduced as Missouri State’s head coach on Dec. 19, 2022, when he was just 33 years old, making him the youngest head coach in program history and the 22nd to lead the Bears. His promotion followed three seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator under Bobby Petrino — widely regarded as one of the top minds in college football. Beard’s defensive units played a critical role in Missouri State’s resurgence, helping the program reach consecutive FCS playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021, the school’s first postseason berths in 30 years. His defenses also produced four All-Americans, 18 all-conference standouts, and three NFL players.

In 2025, Beard guided Missouri State to a 7–5 record in its inaugural FBS season, earning a berth in the Xbox Bowl — the program’s first bowl appearance — where they will face Sun Belt foe Arkansas State. The Bears finished second in Conference USA in both total defense and rushing defense and posted a perfect 5–0 mark in games where they held opponents under 300 total yards. Beard’s debut at the FBS level produced immediate results, fueled by a disciplined, physical defensive identity and strong player development. Eight Bears earned Conference USA postseason honors, further underscoring the program’s growth. Missouri State’s seamless transition to FBS competition was widely credited to Beard’s leadership, which delivered stability, elevated performance standards, and a clear trajectory for long-term success.

That success was built on a standout 2024 season, when Missouri State finished 8–4, ranked No. 23 nationally in the FCS, and delivered one of the nation’s most explosive offensive performances. The Bears ranked in the top 20 nationally in passing offense, total offense, and scoring. Defensively, Missouri State was a force. The Bears led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in sacks per game (2.6) and ranked among the nation’s leaders in turnovers and takeaways. They also finished top 25 nationally in defensive scoring takeaways and turnover margin. That year’s squad produced 12 all-conference selections and three All-Americans, and won eight straight games, the program’s longest streak since 1988–89. Missouri State’s efficiency, balance, and ability to generate explosive plays were hallmarks of the program’s rise under Beard’s leadership.

In 2023, his first season as head coach, Beard guided Missouri State to a late-year surge that included a win over No. 18 Northern Iowa. The Bears ranked in the top 10 nationally in both passing offense and pass efficiency that season, while seven players earned All-Conference recognition. Beard was later selected to the prestigious AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, an honor reserved for the top rising coaches in the profession.

Before becoming head coach, Beard served as Missouri State’s defensive coordinator from 2020–22, where his units helped engineer one of the biggest turnarounds in FCS football. The Bears set the program’s single-season sack record in consecutive years (2020–21 and 2021) and ranked among the national leaders in sacks, tackles for loss, and takeaways. His defenses produced 18 all-conference players, four All-Americans, and multiple NFL-caliber prospects. Missouri State became known for its aggressive pass rush, disruptive edge play, and physical secondary, traits that became foundational to the program’s identity.

Beard’s reputation for player development extends well beyond Missouri State. At Louisville (2017–18), he worked with one of the ACC’s top defensive back units and helped develop several future NFL players, including first-round pick Jaire Alexander. His coaching background also includes stops at Central Michigan (2019) and Western Kentucky (2016), giving him experience across the ACC, MAC, Conference USA, in multiple FCS and FBS environments. Throughout his career, he has coached under Bobby Petrino, Scott Satterfield, and John Bonamego, gaining a diverse perspective on program-building, recruiting, and player evaluation.

Beard has also developed a strong recruiting reputation, particularly in the Midwest, Kentucky, Florida, and throughout the Southeast. He served as the primary recruiter for several all-conference defensive backs and pass rushers during his time at Missouri State, helping the program assemble some of the strongest signing classes in school history. His background in talent identification and relationship-driven recruiting has been widely recognized as one of his strengths, and Coastal Carolina expects those skills to translate immediately as he builds his first roster in Conway.

“Coach Beard is a leader of character, energy, and vision,” said Coastal Carolina University President Dr. James J. Winebrake. “His commitment to student-athlete success, both on and off the field, aligns perfectly with the mission and values of our University. We look forward to supporting him as he guides Chanticleer football into its next chapter of excellence.”

As Beard prepares to lead Chanticleer football, he emphasized his excitement to join the Coastal community and build upon the program’s established tradition of winning and innovation.

“It’s an incredible honor to be named the head football coach at Coastal Carolina University,” Beard said. “This program has built a national reputation for competitiveness, toughness, and doing things the right way. My family and I are excited to join the Coastal community, and I’m eager to get to work with our student-athletes, staff, and supporters as we build on the strong foundation already in place. The future here is extremely bright.”

A native of Bowling Green, Ky., Beard was a standout defensive back at Western Kentucky from 2007–11. He played in over 40 games during the program’s transition to the FBS, earned All-Sun Belt honors, and received WKU’s Iron Man Award. Beard holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Kentucky. He and his wife, Katie, have four children: Beau, Lainey, and twins Jacob and Kailey.