Missouri State University will be searching for a new head football coach to lead the Bears in their second season in Conference USA.
Ryan Beard has announced he’s leaving MO State to take the head coaching position at Coastal Carolina University.
In a statement, Missouri State Athletics Director Patrick Ransdell said Beard’s agreement with CCU will prevent him from coaching in the bowl game next week but that “we will name an interim head coach in short order and have our team ready to play in the Xbox Bowl on December 18th.”
Ransdell said a national search for Beard’s replacement is already underway.
He said he appreciates all that Beard has done for the program, and he wished him luck.
Beard became head football coach at MSU in December 2022. At the time he was hired, Beard, then 34-years-old, was the program’s youngest coach on record. He had worked as defensive coordinator for the university prior to that under former head coach Bobby Petrino.
A press release by Coastal State University announcing Beard's hire states that during his tenure, Beard 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 President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation Chance Miller in the release. "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."
