Coastal Carolina announced Ryan Beard as its new head coach on Thursday.

Beard, 36, spent the past three seasons as coach of Missouri State as that school transitioned to FBS status. He went 19-16, including a 7-5 mark this season and a bowl invitation to play Arkansas State in the Xbox Bowl on Dec. 18.

“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. “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. …

“His trajectory in this profession is remarkable, and we believe his best years are still ahead of him.”

Beard replaces Tim Beck, who was fired after three seasons as Coastal Carolina coach.

The Chanticleers are 6-6 this season, entering an Independence Bowl matchup against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 30. Defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson will serve as interim coach for the game.

Beard played defensive back at Western Kentucky from 2007 to 11 before transitioning into coaching, starting with the Hilltoppers and then moving to a few other programs. He became the defensive coordinator at Missouri State in 2020 and served for three seasons in that role before replacing the departed Bobby Petrino as head coach.

Coastal Carolina put together back-to-back 11-win campaigns (2020-21) under former coach Jamey Chadwell.

–Field Level Media