Missouri State to Conference USA: AD on football coach Ryan Beard's future with new league
Missouri State football coach Ryan Beard is in a position to lead the Bears into a new era when it joins Conference USA for the 2025 season. His boss indicated he would be comfortable doing so.
MSU athletics director Kyle Moats backed his football coach and hinted an extension and a raise are coming.
"We've had those conversations and we've had them at the highest level," Moats told the News-Leader. "He's our guy."
Beard is heading into his second season as Missouri State's football coach. He led the Bears to a 4-7 record in 2023 after being promoted from defensive coordinator under his father-in-law Bobby Petrino for two FCS Playoff appearances in three seasons.
More: A Springfield attorney will give $5 million to Missouri State to join CUSA. Here’s why.
Beard will reach the second year in a four-year deal that pays him $275,000 annually which would be the lowest among head coaches in CUSA with Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon's reported $400,000 being the second lowest.
Most coaches are paid between $600,000 and $800,000 with a few exceptions. The highest-paid coach is Liberty's Jamey Chadwell reportedly making more than $4 million annually.
"Moneys that we're going to get from this affiliation will go into football (among other things)," Moats said. "He deserves to have a few extra years because this situation always takes time. Every time you look at this, when you make a jump like this, it takes time."
More: How incoming Missouri State recruits reacted to school's move to Conference USA
Beard was not in attendance for Monday afternoon's news conference formally announcing Missouri State's upcoming move to Conference USA. Moats said the coach was on the road but has been more as excited about the move from FCS to FBS as anyone.
Beard has previous experience coaching in Conference USA having served as Western Kentucky's defensive backs coach in 2016, under Petrino. Beard is a WKU graduate and played football there from 2007-11 when it was a member of the Sun Belt. He has additional Group of 5 coaching experience from when he served on Jim McElwain's Central Michigan coaching staff in the MAC.
Coincidentally, Missouri State's first game as an FBS member in 2025 will be at Arkansas, where Petrino is serving as the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State AD Kyle Moats backs Ryan Beard in Conference USA move
