Missouri State

Missouri State University officially presented Ryan Beard as its new head football coach on Dec. 19, 2022. At the time of his hire, Beard (34) was the program’s youngest coach on record and was the 22nd person to hold the football Bears’ top coaching position. 

His elevation to head coach came on the heels of three seasons as Missouri State’s defensive coordinator (2020-22) under former head coach Bobby Petrino.

Last season (2024), the Bears’ final campaign at the FCS level, Beard guided MoState to an 8-4 overall record and No. 23 national ranking with 12 all-conference standouts and three All-Americans in his camp. Quarterback Jacob Clark finished 14th in the Walter Payton FCS Player of the Year voting, while running back Jacardia Wright signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Seahawks after the season. The Bears reeled off eight straight wins from Sept. 14 to Nov. 9, the squad’s longest since a stretch from 1988-89.

The Bears finished 6-2 in Valley play to tie for fourth place and match the team record for conference victories (1978, 2021), including MSU’s first 6-0 start in conference play since 1978. Likewise, the Bears started 8-2 overall for the first time since 1990 and reached eight overall wins for the ninth time in program history -- first since the 2021 NCAA playoff team. Likewise, MSU’s four-game road win streak was its first since a split-season stretch from 1996-97.  

Beard’s 2024 squad boasted one of the nation’s most efficient offensive attacks, racking up 306.2 yards per game through the air (5th), 424.8 total yards per game (17th) and 34.8 points per outing (13th), all of which ranked in the top 20 nationally.

In his inaugural coaching season (2023), Beard guided the Bears to a 4-7 overall record and a 3-5 ledger in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The team’s strong November surge included and a 35-16 home win over No. 18-ranked Northern Iowa. The Bears finished No. 5 in the nation in passing offense (300.3), No. 7 in pass efficiency (158.77), 26th in total offense (400.8) and 31st in scoring (29.8).  

Missouri State was rewarded with seven All-MVFC selections in Beard’s first campaign, including first-teamers Grant Burkett (P) and Raylen Sharpe (WR). Sharpe finished fourth in the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year voting. Likewise, Burkett (second team) and Sharpe (third team) were named to the Associated Press FCS All-America Team, while the Bears also boasted three Phil Steele Freshman All-America honorees, including first-teamers Cash Hudson (OL) and Avery Powell (CB).

At the end of the 2023 season, Beard was named to the American Football Coaches Association’s exclusive 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. 

During his three seasons as MSU’s defensive coordinator, Beard played a significant role in the team’s resurgence, managing a defensive unit that boasted 18 all-conference selections, four All-Americans and three professional players in his tenure at MoState.

In his first campaign in Springfield in 2020-21, Beard and his defensive unit broke the program record for sacks with 27, created 15 turnovers, and held every Missouri Valley Football Conference foe under 30 points for the first time since 1989. His inaugural season on the MSU staff culminated in five all-conference selections, while the Bears captured a share of the Valley championship and earned an NCAA FCS playoff berth for the first time in 30 years.

As an encore effort in 2021, Beard’s second year with the program saw the Bears top the club sack record again (30) while racking up 25 takeaways and securing 15 interceptions. In addition to making a second straight NCAA playoff appearance in 2021, MSU finished in sole possession of second place in the rugged Missouri Valley Football Conference, ranked ninth nationally in turnovers gained and finished 14th in interceptions per game. The 2021 Bears also boasted five all-conference players on the defensive side of the ball, including safeties Kyriq McDonald and Titus Wall. Wall had immediate success with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, while Bears’ defensive lineman Eric Johnson was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The 2022 Bears defense gave up just 15.8 points per game over their last four games with defensive end Kevin Ellis leading the nation in fumble recoveries. Four MSU defenders earned all-conference laurels, including McDonald, three-time captain Kevin Ellis and five-time All-MVFC pick Montrae Braswell who signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Before coming to Missouri State, Beard spent the 2019 season at Central Michigan University as the special teams and safeties coach for head coach Jim McElwain. He joined the Central Michigan staff in February of 2019 and helped lead the Chippewas to an 8-6 campaign on a defensive secondary that created 13 interceptions.

Beard served as an assistant at Louisville during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, starting as the defensive backs coach and in quality control before moving on to become the Cardinals’ linebackers coach and their co-special teams coordinator. Among those who Beard coached at Louisville are Jaire Alexander, who was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the NFL draft; 2014 Jim Thorpe Award winner Gerod Holliman; and James Sample, a former member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As the defensive backs coach at Western Kentucky in 2016, Beard helped lead the Hilltoppers to the Conference USA championship and a win in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Beard was a standout defensive back at Western Kentucky himself from 2007-11. He was a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and was named to the league’s All-Freshman squad and its All-Academic team. In 2011, he earned the Western Kentucky Iron Man Award.

A native of Bowling Green, Ky., Beard was a four-year letterman at Bowling Green High for coach Kevin Wallace, where his efforts helped the Purples advance to the 3A state championship contest in each of his last two years.

Beard holds two degrees from Western Kentucky: a bachelor of science in Business Management (2012), and a master of science in Recreation and Sport Administration (2014).

He is married to the former Katie Petrino. The couple have four children with son Beau and daughter Lainey, in addition to twins Jacob and Kailey born in the spring of 2022.