| Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 2003; 23 years ago | ||
| Head coach | Ryan Beard 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
| Stadium | Brooks Stadium (capacity: 21,000) | ||
| Field | James C. Benton Field | ||
| Year built | 2003 | ||
| Location | Conway, South Carolina | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Sun Belt | ||
| Division | East | ||
| All-time record | 178–102 (.636) | ||
| Bowl record | 2–3 (.400) | ||
| Conference championships | |||
| Big South:2004,2005,2006,2010,2012,2013,2014 SBC:2020 | |||
| Conference division championships | |||
| SBC East:2020,2022 | |||
| ConsensusAll-Americans | 1 | ||
| Rivalries | Liberty (rivalry) Appalachian State(rivalry) | ||
| Colors | Teal, bronze, and black[1] | ||
| Mascot | Chauncey | ||
| Outfitter | Under Armour | ||
| Website | GoCCUsports.com | ||
TheCoastal Carolina Chanticleers football team representsCoastal Carolina University incollege football at theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Chanticleers are members of theSun Belt Conference, fielding its teams at the FBS level since 2017. The Chanticleers play their home games atJames C. Benton Field at Brooks Stadium inConway, South Carolina, United States.
Their head coach isRyan Beard, who was hired following the firing ofTim Beck.
It was announced in the late 1990s that CCU would establish a football squad in the coming years. TheCoastal Carolina Chanticleers football program played its inaugural season in 2003 on campus at Brooks Stadium. The team's first coach wasDavid Bennett, who held the position from the team's inception until December 9, 2011.
In the program's short history, the team has defeated such traditionalFootball Championship Subdivision (FCS) powers asJames Madison University (ranked No. 1 at the time),Furman University,Wofford College, and theUniversity of Montana. The program has won sevenBig South Conference championships and has had severalformer players enter professional NFL careers.
Coastal's primary football rivals in FCS play wereLiberty andCharleston Southern.[2][3][4]
Coastal Carolina's first season as a full FBS member was in 2017. In 2020, the team won a share of its first Sun Belt championship and made its first bowl appearance, a 37-34 defeat to rival Liberty in theCure Bowl. Coastal won its first bowl game the following season, returning to theCure Bowl and defeatingNorthern Illinois, 47-41.
In 2006, the Chanticleers made school history when the team received its firstFCS playoff berth, also the first playoff berth for the Big South Conference, losing a first-round contest toAppalachian State. Appalachian State would go on to win the FCS national championship that season.
In2010, Coastal went to the playoffs for the second time after winning the Big South Championship (a three-way tie withLiberty andStony Brook) and received the Big South's first-ever automatic playoff bid.
On September 11, 2010, Coastal Carolina played a five-overtime game on the road against theTowson Tigers, the longest game in school history. Coastal would lose the game, 47–45.
Bennett was dismissed following the 2011 season. University presidentDavid A. DeCenzo cited a 29-28 record during the previous five seasons—including only three wins against teams with winning records—and declining attendance as reasons for Bennett's removal.[5]
The university namedJoe Moglia, formerCEO ofTD Ameritrade, as its new head coach on December 20, 2011.[6]
Moglia found immediate success, leading the Chanticleers to a share of three consecutive Big South titles in his first three seasons and playoff berths in each of his first four seasons. In 2014, the team earned its first number 1 FCS ranking in program history after starting the season 11-0.[7]
The Chanticleers left the Big South Conference at the end of the 2015–16 school year and joined theSun Belt Conference, initially as a non-football member.[8] At that time, the football team began a two-year transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).[9] The first season of the transition in 2016 was spent as anFCS independent; the Chanticleers officially joined Sun Belt football July 1, 2017, with full bowl eligibility following in 2018.[10]
The Chanticleers earned the program's first win as an FBS program when they defeated theUMass Minutemen, 38-28, on September 2, 2017. The team had a tough time winning games during the 2017 season, losing its next nine games. Ending the 2017 season on a positive note, Coastal Carolina earned the program's first two Sun Belt Conference wins in the final two weeks of the season, a 13–7 victory over theIdaho Vandals and a 28-17 win against theGeorgia Southern Eagles. Coastal finished the year with a record of 3–9. The 2017 team was led by interim head coachJamey Chadwell, during a medical leave of absence from Moglia.[11]
Building from their momentum at the end of the 2017 season, Coastal Carolina finished the 2018 season with an improved record of 5–7, with notable wins against theUAB Blazers,Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, andGeorgia State Panthers. Moglia retired from coaching following the 2018 season.
Jamey Chadwell was introduced as the program's third head coach on January 18, 2019.[12] He had previously served as the team's offensive coordinator and as its interim head coach for the 2017 season.
On October 14, 2020, Coastal Carolina got its first win against a ranked FBS team by defeating No. 21Louisiana 30–27.[13] Following the win, theAP ranked Coastal Carolina No. 25, making it their first time as a national ranked team.[citation needed] The same week, theCollege Football Playoff rankings listed Coastal at No. 20. For the remainder of the regular season, Coastal remained in theAP Top 25. Their highest AP ranking that year was #14 in the fourteenth week, with a CFP ranking of No. 18 the same week. Their original opponent for Week 14 (Dec 5th) wasLiberty, but Liberty canceled the game citing concerns related to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Coastal’s new opponent for that week became No. 13BYU.[14]
The undefeated Chanticleers created national attention and interest in the team, and their matchup with BYU ledESPN to broadcastCollege GameDay fromConway on December 5.[15] Coastalwon 22–17, with the game ending when BYU was stopped one yard short of the goal-line. The victory resulted in Coastal Carolina ranked No. 11 by the AP Top 25 Rankings and No. 13 by the CFP Playoffs for Week 15. With the conference championship game scheduled for December 19, CCU was set up for another showdown with Louisiana. However, they would have to settle for a co-championship with Louisiana, with both named champions after the Chanticleers found themselves unable to play when a positive COVID-19 test was found within the CCU team.[16]
Coastal ended its season against Liberty in the first bowl game in team history, theCure Bowl, losing 37–34 in overtime.[17]
CCU was ranked No. 22 to start the season, and won their first six games to rise up to No. 15 before a loss toAppalachian State ended the streak.[citation needed] They won four of their next five games but finished second in the East Division. They were invited to the2021 Cure Bowl where CCU defeatedNorthern Illinois 47-41 to earn the first bowl game victory in school history.[18][19]
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In 2022, Coastal finished 9-4, with losses toTroy in theSun Belt championship game andEast Carolina in theBirmingham Bowl. Prior to the bowl game, Chadwell announced that he was departing Coastal to accept the head coaching position at Liberty.
On December 4, 2022,Tim Beck was announced as the program's fourth head coach following Chadwell's departure. Beck had most recently served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach forNC State.[20]
The Chanticleers went 8-5 during Beck's first season in 2023. The team ended the season with its second bowl victory in program history, a 24-14 win againstSan Jose State in theHawaii Bowl.
Beck wasfired[21] on November 30, 2025, with the announcement coming after their final game against James Madison. The university determined a change was needed despite finishing bowl-eligible at 6-6 for two straight regular seasons.
Ryan Beard was hired on December 11, 2025.[22]
Coastal Carolina has won seven Big South Conference championships, winning two of them outright and five shared, and has won one Sun Belt Conference championship which was shared withLouisiana in the 2020 season. The2020 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game was not played when Coastal Carolina was unable to participate due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[23]
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Big South Conference | David Bennett | 10–1 | 4–0 |
| 2005† | Big South Conference | David Bennett | 9–2 | 3–1 |
| 2006 | Big South Conference | David Bennett | 9–3 | 4–0 |
| 2010† | Big South Conference | David Bennett | 6–6 | 5–1 |
| 2012† | Big South Conference | Joe Moglia | 8–5 | 5–1 |
| 2013† | Big South Conference | Joe Moglia | 12–3 | 4–1 |
| 2014† | Big South Conference | Joe Moglia | 12–2 | 4–1 |
| 2020† | Sun Belt Conference | Jamey Chadwell | 11–1 | 8–0 |
† Co-champions
Coastal Carolina won their first division championship in the 2020 season.
| Year | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Sun Belt Conference - East | Jamey Chadwell | Louisiana | No Contest |
| 2022 | Troy | L 26–45 |
^ The2020 championship game was not played due to Coastal Carolina being impacted by theCOVID-19 pandemic[23]
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team has developed several rivalries since its inception. Here are some of the notable ones:[24]
These rivalries contribute to the excitement of Coastal Carolina football and enhance the overall experience for players and fans alike.[25]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(December 2023) |
Coastal Carolina maintains a football rivalry withLiberty which began in 2003. The teams played every year from 2003 to 2016 and met in the2020 Cure Bowl.
The Football rivalry between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Football team and theAppalachian State Football team has been one of the most competitive rivalries in theSun Belt Conference and a rivalry before Coastal Carolina joined theFBS.
The football rivalry between the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and the Appalachian State Mountaineers began in 2005, however became big in 2017 following Coastal Carolina’s transition to the FBS and entry into the Sun Belt Conference. Since then, the series has featured competitive and closely contested matchups, with Appalachian State historically holding the upper hand early on. The first meeting ever in 2005 saw Coastal Carolina being held to only three points in a 30-3 away loss.[26] The first meeting in the same division was played atKidd Brewer Stadium inBoone, North Carolina, on October 21, 2017, and saw Appalachian State defeat Coastal Carolina 37–29. The following year, Coastal Carolina played at home atBrooks Stadium inConway, South Carolina, but fell again, 23-7.[27] This would be their first and only time they lost at home. In 2019, Appalachian State won 56–37 at home.[28] In 2020, Coastal Carolina secured a 34–23 victory as the home team, their first in the rivalries' history.[29] The 2021 contest in Boone ended with Appalachian State narrowly defeating Coastal Carolina 30–27.[30] However, the series shifted as Coastal Carolina gained momentum, winning three consecutive games: in 2022, they defeated Appalachian State 35–28 at home; in 2023, they won a close 27–24 matchup on the road; and in 2024, Coastal Carolina achieved a decisive 38–24 victory at Brooks Stadium, marking their third straight win in the rivalry and improving their home record against Appalachian State to 3–1.[31][32][33] In the most recent matchup on October 28, 2025, the Chanticleers won on the road 45-37.[34] Overall, as of 2026, Appalachian State leads the rival series 7–5, but Coastal Carolina’s recent success has intensified the competition and elevated the rivalry within the Sun Belt Conference.
Coastal Carolina made six appearances in theNCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs before moving to theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2017, going 4–6.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | First Round | Appalachian State | L 28–45 |
| 2010 | First Round | Western Illinois | L 10–17 |
| 2012 | First Round Second Round | Bethune–Cookman Old Dominion | W 24–14 L 35–63 |
| 2013 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals | Bethune–Cookman Montana North Dakota State | W 48–24 W 42–35 L 14–48 |
| 2014 | Second Round Quarterfinals | Richmond North Dakota State | W 36–15 L 32–39 |
| 2015 | First Round | The Citadel | L 38–41 |
Coastal Carolina has participated insix bowl games, going 2–4.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Jamey Chadwell | Cure Bowl | Liberty | L 34–37OT |
| 2021 | Cure Bowl | Northern Illinois | W 47–41 | |
| 2022 | Chad Staggs (interim) | Birmingham Bowl | East Carolina | L 29–53 |
| 2023 | Tim Beck | Hawaii Bowl | San Jose State | W 24–14 |
| 2024 | Myrtle Beach Bowl | UTSA | L 15–44 | |
| 2025 | Jeremiah Johnson (interim) | Independence Bowl | Louisiana Tech | L 14–23 |
Coastal Carolina has had five head coaches.
| Years | Coach | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2011 | David Bennett | 63–39 | .618 |
| 2012–2016, 2018 | Joe Moglia | 56–22 | .718 |
| 2017†, 2019–2022 | Jamey Chadwell | 39–22 | .639 |
| 2022^ | Chad Staggs | 0–1 | .000 |
| 2023–present | Tim Beck | 20–15 | .571 |
† Interim head coach in 2017 due to medical sabbatical taken by Joe Moglia.
^ Interim head coach for the 2022 Birmingham Bowl
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Announced schedules as of October 30, 2025.[39]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| atWest Virginia | vsSouth Carolina State | atEast Carolina | atLiberty | atEastern Michigan | atBYU | ||
| vsFordham | atLiberty | vsLiberty | vsDelaware | vsLiberty | |||
| atDelaware | |||||||
| vsLiberty |
A highly anticipated rematch between No. 12 Coastal Carolina and No. 19 Louisiana in the Sun Belt Championship Game has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test in the Coastal Carolina program, the Sun Belt announced Thursday night. One of the Chanticleers' entire position groups would have been unavailable for the game "due to possible exposure," according to the league's announcement.
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