| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Missouri State |
| Conference | CUSA |
| Record | 16–14 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1989-06-03)June 3, 1989 (age 36) |
| Playing career | |
| 2007–2011 | Western Kentucky |
| Position | Defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2012–2013 | Western Kentucky (DGA) |
| 2014 | Louisville (DQC) |
| 2015 | Northern Michigan (DB) |
| 2016 | Western Kentucky (DB) |
| 2017–2018 | Louisville (asst.) |
| 2019 | Central Michigan (ST/S) |
| 2020–2022 | Missouri State (DC/S) |
| 2023–present | Missouri State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 16–14 |
Ryan Beard (born June 3, 1989)[1] is an Americancollege football coach and former player. He is the head football coach forMissouri State University. He playedcollege football atWestern Kentucky and previously coached at Western Kentucky,Louisville,Northern Michigan, andCentral Michigan. He was hired as the defensive coordinator at Missouri State in 2020 and was promoted to head coach before the 2023 season.
A native ofBowling Green, Kentucky,[2] Beard attendedBowling Green High School where he playedfootball for four seasons and helped them reach the Class 3A championship twice.[3] He began playingcollege football for theWestern Kentucky Hilltoppers in 2007 as adefensive back and was an all-freshman selection.[4] Beard became a starter in 2008.[5] He graduated following the 2011 season and has two degrees from Western Kentucky: a Bachelor of Science in business management and a Master of Science in recreation and sports administration.[4] He was twice named All-Sun Belt Conference in his time with the Hilltoppers and was also an all-academic selection, additionally being given the school's "Iron Man Award" as asenior after posting 51 stops.[4][6][7] His career-high intackles came as ajunior in 2010, when he recorded 71.[6]
Beard began his coaching career immediately after graduating from Western Kentucky, serving as the Hilltoppers' defensivegraduate assistant from 2012 to 2013.[3] He served as the defensive quality control coach for theLouisville Cardinals in 2014,[3] and after one season in that position, became an assistant atNorthern Michigan, working with thecornerbacks.[8][9]
Beard was to serve as Northern Michigan secondary coach in 2016, but left for Western Kentucky in July of that year.[10] He served as their defensive backs coach for one season.[7] In 2017, he returned to Louisville, where he served as an assistant for two seasons.[4] Beard coached thespecial teams andsafeties atCentral Michigan in 2019.[4]
Beard was nameddefensive coordinator and safeties coach for theMissouri State Bears in 2020.[11] In his first season in the position, he helped them set the school record for single-seasonsacks and reach the playoffs for the first time in 30 years.[12] The next year, the Bears defense again broke the single-season sack record and they made the playoffs for the second consecutive year.[12] Following the 2022 season, where Missouri State went 5–6 and missed the playoffs, Beard was named the new head coach.[13]
Beard is married to Katie, the daughter ofBobby Petrino, whom Beard succeeded as Missouri State head coach in 2023.[4] As of 2022, they have four children together.[4]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri State Bears(Missouri Valley Football Conference)(2023–2024) | |||||||||
| 2023 | Missouri State | 4–7 | 3–5 | 9th | |||||
| 2024 | Missouri State | 8–4 | 6–2 | T–4th | |||||
| Missouri State Bears(Conference USA)(2025–present) | |||||||||
| 2025 | Missouri State | 4–3 | 2–1 | ||||||
| Missouri State: | 16–14 | 11–8 | |||||||
| Total: | 16-14 | ||||||||
