Coastal Carolina Football Preview 2026: Can Ryan Beard Revive the Chanticleers?

It's not like Coastal Carolina was bad before Ryan Beard took over.

This is just the tenth year of Coastal Carolina football at the FBS level, but already the expectations are jacked.

Jamey Chadwell left for Liberty after winning 31 games in three seasons. Tim Beck stepped in and wasn't bad, but just being okay wasn't good enough.

The Chanticleers Want to Be Even Better at College Football

Coastal Carolina linebacker Tray Brown rushing to the football against LA Tech during the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium on Tuesday, Dec 30, 2025 in Louisiana© Paul Karge/The Shreveport Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now it's Beard's job to take the success he showed at Missouri State and move Coastal Carolina back to a Sun Belt championship level.

The Chanticleers had some success under Beck with 20 wins and three straight bowl appearances in three seasons, but the program wants to be a player again like it was in 2020 through 2022.

Coastal Carolina Quick Hits

Head Coach: Ryan Beard (1st year; 3rd year overall, 19-16)

Best Case / Worst Case: Get bowl eligible with ease/A third straight losing season

Key Player: Deuce Bailey, QB RFr. or Trever Jackson, QB Soph.

2025 Record: 6-7

Biggest Question: How fast can the new coaching staff make both sides of the ball far more effective?

Coastal Carolina Key 2025 Stats

Onside Kicks: Coastal Carolina 2-for-3, Opponents 2-for-2

1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 123, Coastal Carolina 57

Fumbles: Opponents 28 (lost 11), Coastal Carolina 28 (lost 10)

Offense

Nick Petrino is sticking with Ryan Beard as his offensive coordinator after leading a high-powered attack last season.

The Bears were second in Conference USA in passing, and Coastal Carolina will try to find the same sort of pop after a rough season, finishing 117th in the nation in passing and 116th in total offense.

What’s Working

This coaching staff knows how to get an O going. It wasn't always perfect, and last year's Missouri State offense under Petrino had veteran parts, but at the very least there will be more pop and explosion to the Chanticleer attack.

Some nice running backs are about to take over. Dominic Knicely and Jevon Edwards each averaged 5.7 yards per carry last season, and in comes the tough Daelen Alexander from Rice to add a little more power.

The portal loaded up the receiving corps. Tristian Gardner comes over from Missouri State after averaging 15.5 yards per catch with six scores as a freshman.

He's hardly alone with Clayton Coppock coming over from Kennesaw State among the best of the five new targets coming in to go along with holdover Karmello English from last year's Coastal Carolina attack.

What Needs Work

A starting quarterback has to emerge. It wasn't a great year for the Chanticleer passing game with three quarterbacks giving it a shot without a whole lot of success.

It's an open gig, but former Missouri State Bear Deuce Bailey has enough time under this coaching staff to know what he's doing. Trever Jackson is a big option from Arkansas with dual-threat capabilities.

The offensive front took a hit through the portal. There weren't any superstars up front who'll be devastating to lose, but tackle Nick Del Grande left for Duke and Julius Tate is a promising guard who took off for USF.

There will be decent size up front, but it might take a little while to get together.

The running game meant everything to last year's bunch. There wasn't enough of a passing attack to take the pressure off, so when Coastal Carolina couldn't run, it lost. It went 0-6 when failing to get to 100 yards.

Player to Watch

Tristian Gardner, WR Soph. He might not be a volume catcher, but he's the big play guy the Coastal Carolina offense was missing with 30 catches for 486 yards.

Just scratching the surface, he'll get a few deep shots thrown his way every game.

Defense

LD Scott made the move over from Missouri State to be Coastal Carolina's defensive coordinator, and he's bringing a ton of talent with him.

Last year's Bear defense was fine, but Coastal Carolina's wasn't. The Chanticleers finished 132nd in the nation in total defense - Missouri State was 78th - and was particularly bad against the run.

What’s Working

There's a fantastic blend of returning veterans and good transfers for the linebacking corps. The combination of Tray Brown on the inside and bulked-up safety-sized Se'Von McDowell on the outside is good.

Coming in are Marcellius Pulliam (Michigan State), Azarel Juste (Bryant), Jordan Thompson (Western Carolina), and Braxton Starnes (Missouri State) to bulk up the position.

The secondary has the returning production. Coastal Carolina is dealing with an overhaul just about everywhere else, but the secondary brings in a loaded group of veterans.

Corner Ja'Marion Wayne was second on the team with 61 tackles and six broken up passes. He's a physical presence on one side, and safeties Dre Pinckney and Myles Woods return after combining for 80 tackles.

Takeaways. Missouri State wasn't great at forcing mistakes last year under Scott, coming up with 16, but Coastal Carolina took the ball away in bunches.

The Chanticleer defense came up with two or more takeaways six times, highlighted by five in the win over Marshall.

What Needs Work

The secondary is adding a slew of new parts. Great players are coming in, to go along with the already strong base.

Seven defensive backs are coming aboard, with safety Jalen Lee coming off a 63-tackle season with three interceptions for South Dakota State, and corner Damill Bostic Jr. from Villanova leading the way.

Pressure. Coastal Carolina didn't do much of anything to get to the quarterback, but it wasn't bad at coming up with tackles for loss.

Scott's Missouri State defense was the opposite, doing a good job generating sacks, but without a lot of tackles for loss on a steady basis.

No matter what the new defense looks like, it has to keep points off the board. Last year's defense had a way of letting bad games get out of hand.

Coastal Carolina was 0-6 when allowing 38 points or more - those just happened to be the games against the six best teams on the slate.

Player to Watch

Tray Brown, LB Sr. The 6-1, 232-pound veteran can bring the thump. He eased his way into a big role over the last three years, coming up with 90 stops with five sacks and 17 tackles for loss over the last two seasons.

Keys to the Season

Stop turning the ball over after giving it up 23 times.

Stop someone - the defense allowed 444 yards per game.

Come up with a more explosive passing game.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Deuce Bailey, QB RFr. It's hardly a sure thing that he gets the gig - Trever Jackson is a 6-3, 202-pound all-around baller compared to the 6-1, 190-pound Bailey - and he has to prove he can be accurate, but he's dangerous on the move.

No matter what, Coastal Carolina has to get more out of the quarterbacks.

Biggest Concern

Stop the run. That's why all the new defensive linemen matter.

Coastal Carolina wasn't even close against the run for most of the season, giving up 200 yards or more seven times, and getting destroyed for over 300 yards against both Old Dominion and Georgia Southern.

Biggest Game

App State, October 16 It started a string of wild games last season when Coastal Carolina pulled off a 45-37 win at App State as part of a vital four-game winning streak.

This year it's in Conway before getting a week off. It also marks the start of a key run with just one road game in five weeks.

Transfer Portal

The new coaching staff didn't get cheated in the portal.

It came up with wholesale changes in some spots and was busy bringing a slew of new parts aboard for the offense, and - surprise, surprise - the former Missouri State coaching staff brought in a bunch of Missouri State players.

Eleven former Bears are making their way to Myrtle Beach.

Best Signing

Azarel Juste, S (Bryant) The 6-2, 195-pounder from Bryant can fit in just about anywhere.

He has corner skills, but he might be better in a hybrid spot considering his physical style, coming off a 58-tackle season with two interceptions, seven broken up passes, and 6.5 tackles for loss at Bryant.

Biggest Loss

Ezekiel Durham-Campbell, EDGE (West Virginia) Coastal Carolina didn't have much of a pass rush, but what there was came from the 6-5, 250-pound Durham-Campbell.

He played his first two years at Louisiana Tech, but broke out last year for the Chanticleers with 42 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Now he'll be a key part of Rich Rodriguez's defense at West Virginia.

Other Names to Know

Donovan Grayson, EDGE (Samford)

Braxton Starnes, LB (Missouri State)

Chandavian Bradley, EDGE (Oklahoma State)

CFN Season Prediction

Coastal Carolina couldn't score, couldn't stop anyone, couldn't do enough on special teams, and for all of the problems, it still ended up with six wins and found its way to a bowl game.

Even with all of the rebuilding under the new coaching staff, expect more of the same.

CFN Prediction: 6-6

There won't be anything smooth or consistent about this season, but the offense will work better, and the defense will have a stronger rotation.

The opener at West Virginia is the only game against a Power Four team, but going to Delaware and dealing with Liberty won't be layups.

It'll be a rough finish with road games at Louisiana and James Madison to close things out, but with six home games in nine before that, the Chanticleers will get bowl-eligible before the late problems in a fifth straight rough November.

Expect a better Coastal Carolina team, even if the record doesn't show it.

Related: Sun Belt Football 2026 Win Totals: Spring Predictions for All 14 Teams