Ryan Beard was regarded as a rising star in the coaching world. That sentiment sure didn’t change when he led Missouri State to a 7-5 regular season record and a bowl berth in 2025, its first season in the FBS.
So when Coastal Carolina fired Tim Beck, the Chanticleers decided to hire Beard. They hope he can lead CCU to some better results in the immediate future.
Here’s more about Beard and his resume:
What’s Coastal Carolina Head Coach Ryan Beard’s Salary?
Ryan Beard will reportedly make $800,000 in 2026, but that number could look different after incentives kick in.
Beard made $450,000 in total pay last year, according to USA Today. Previous CCU head coach Tim Beck made $1.2 million in 2025.
Ryan Beard’s Coaching History
| Years | Team | Position |
| 2026-present | Coastal Carolina | HC |
| 2023-2025 | Missouri St. | HC |
| 2020-22 | Missouri St. | DC |
| 2019 | Central Michigan | STC/S |
| 2017-18 | Louisville | LBs/Co-STC/QC |
| 2016 | Western Kentucky | DBs |
| 2014-15 | Louisville | DQC |
| 2012-13 | Western Kentucky | GA |
What’s Coastal Carolina Head Coach Ryan Beard’s Record?
Ryan Beard is 7-5 in the FBS as a head coach. He went 21-14 overall as the head coach at Missouri State, which was in the FCS at the beginning of his tenure.
How Old Is Coastal Carolina Head Coach Ryan Beard?
Beard is 37 years old.
Coastal Carolina Head Coach Ryan Beard’s Background
Beard led the Bears to bowl-eligibility immediately in their first FBS season, but his resume before that point was pretty strong, too.
Beard was the youngest person to become Missouri State’s head coach when he was promoted at 34 years old in December 2022.
Previously, Beard was Missouri State’s defensive coordinator for three seasons. During that span, he coached a defense that earned 18 all-conference nods and four All-American accolades while three players from that time had opportunities to play professionally.
In the spring of 2021, Missouri State broke its program record with 27 sacks en route to winning a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship and securing a spot in the FCS playoffs for the first time in 30 years. The Bears went ahead and broke that sack record again with 30 in the fall of 2021. Missouri State was among the best in the country in different statistical categories on defense when Beard was the DC.
Before going to Missouri State, Beard was a special teams and safeties coach at Central Michigan in 2019. He was a quality control coach at Louisville, where he was from 2017-18, before becoming the team’s linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator. He was also a defensive quality control coach there from 2014-15.
He coached defensive backs in 2016 at Western Kentucky, where was a two-time All-Sun Belt defensive back himself, and was a graduate assistant at WKU in 2012-13.
