Blog Article
Coastal Carolina Fans Wanted Chadwell 2.0. They Got Tim Beck With A Defensive Coat Of Paint
This is not a home run. It’s a lateral move with a defensive coat of paint.
Coastal Carolina just replaced Tim Beck with Missouri State’s Ryan Beard, a 36-year-old defensive-minded coach who led his program to a 7-6 season in his second year at the FBS level. The move signals a clear philosophical shift: out with Beck’s offensive, QB-guru identity, in with a physical, havoc-creating defensive approach. Whether that recalibration leads to Sun Belt titles or just a different flavor of mediocrity remains the open question.
Here’s what we know about Beard’s résumé:
- 14-11 overall as an FBS head coach (two seasons at Missouri State)
- 7-5 in 2025
- Got blown out 73-13 by his one ranked opponent (USC)
- Lost his final three games of the season
- Defenses at Missouri State set school records for sacks and produced back-to-back FCS playoff appearances before the FBS jump
That’s a mixed bag. Not a disaster. Not a clear upgrade either.
The Tim Beck Context
Beck wasn’t a catastrophe. He was a plateau.
Coastal went 6-6 in each of his final two seasons – bowl-eligible, but a far cry from the 31-6 run under Jamey Chadwell from 2020-22. The program didn’t collapse. It just stopped climbing. Late-season fades (.385 winning percentage down the stretch), and a 0-2 record against ranked opponents told the story of a team that couldn’t punch above its weight.
That’s why Beck is gone. Coastal’s investment level: enhanced salaries, an indoor facility, sustained bowl expectations, means 6-6 now gets you fired.
The FBS Comparison
On paper, Beard’s numbers are nearly identical to Beck’s. And the red flags are similar too.
| Metric | Tim Beck (Coastal) | Ryan Beard (Missouri State) |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 20-18 (.526) | 14-11 (.560) |
| Home Record | 13-12 (.520) | 10-5 (.667) |
| Away Record | 6-6 (.500) | 4-5 (.444) |
| vs. Ranked | 0-2 | 0-1 |
| Bowl Games | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Late-Season Fade | Yes (.385) | Yes (lost final 3) |
Beard is slightly better at home. Slightly worse on the road. Winless against ranked opponents. Winless in bowl games. And just like Beck, his teams collapse down the stretch.
This isn’t a clear upgrade. It’s a profile swap with the same underlying problems.
The Verdict
This hire makes sense in the process. Beard has shown he can manage roster building through structural change; FCS-to-FBS maps directly onto Sun Belt reality in the portal and NIL era. His defensive identity gives Coastal a clear schematic north star it lacked under Beck. And at 36, he’s young enough for a multi-cycle build if it works.
But the warning signs are hard to ignore.
Beard has never won double-digit games as a head coach. His one shot against a ranked opponent ended 73-13. And his teams fade late, the same problem that got Beck fired.
Coastal fans expecting Chadwell 2.0 should pump the brakes.
This is a medium-risk hire with a floor that looks a lot like what they just had. The Chanticleers are betting on defensive identity and culture over proven results. The trajectory could bend upward. But the evidence so far says this is a lateral move dressed up as a fresh start.
