Ryan Beard, Missouri State’s new 33-year-old head football coach, preaches ‘standard of excellence’

Sitting in his bedroom in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, almost three years ago, Ryan Beard received a phone call from Bobby Petrino who wanted him to become his defensive coordinator at Missouri State.

Petrino told Beard, his son-in-law, about Springfield and everything it had to offer. Petrino described Missouri State as a "hidden gem" and that it was "waiting to explode on the football scene." Petrino said there was no reason that they couldn't make it happen, something Beard continues to believe to this day.

From then on, Beard had the dream of one day becoming Missouri State's head football coach.

Beard thought about that on Monday as his dream became a reality and he was introduced as Missouri State's new head football coach in front of a crowded Prime Overtime Club at Great Southern Bank Arena. He takes over the program after Petrino departed to become UNLV's offensive coordinator.

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The 33-year-old head coach displayed his contagious enthusiasm and belief in what could be accomplished at Missouri State during his opening remarks. It was a big reason why he was given the job in the first place.

"It means more than you know to have everyone here and to have the community support we have," Beard said. "One thing I thought was so cool was that we had every single realm represented here from the university which just shows the outpouring of support that our players receive on a daily basis. This is the job for me and I can't wait to get started."

Beard played a critical role in getting the Missouri State defense turned around from one of the worst in the FCS to one that's been a reason for the program's turnaround. The Bears made the postseason in his first two years as defensive coordinator before a 5-6 season in 2022.

Beard has also been lauded as an excellent recruiter who goes out of his way to create relationships with his players. He had an outpouring of support from former, current and future players on social media once the job came open. Those who were committed to signing with the Bears during Wednesday's signing period remain committed thanks in large part to the connections they made with their new head coach.

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The hire also presents the Bears with continuity among a staff that's had more success with the Bears than anyone has had over the last three decades. Beard said he plans on keeping the entire staff in place — as they sat in the back of the room and applauded their new leader upon his introduction.

"The standard of excellence in football will not change," Beard said. "You have to attack workouts, practice and games like they'll be your last. We are going to do that in a fierce manner and get after it as hard as we possibly can. We are going to work extremely hard and I cannot tell you that enough."

Smart, Moats had been eyeing Beard for a while

When Petrino was hired as Missouri State's head coach in 2020, the university's administration wanted him to come in and turn the football program around. That was the deal, and MSU President Clif Smart admitted on Monday that they didn't expect to retain Petrino for the remainder of his career.

From the beginning, Smart and Missouri State Athletics Director Kyle Moats thought about what would be next. The two observed a coaching staff that was a step above anything the Bears had in the past.

During those observations, Beard stood out because of his contagious enthusiasm and belief in what could be accomplished at Missouri State.

Throughout the last three years, Smart and Moats talked about different head coaches who could one day take over but they didn't want to blow up a foundation that was in the third year of building. They liked the level of athletes on the roster and they believed in the staff they had in place.

More:5 things to know about new Missouri State football head coach Ryan Beard

Moats had a conversation with Petrino at the end of the year and discussed Beard and his future.

"I mentioned how impressed I was with Ryan," Moats said. "I just felt like he had the 'it' factor and Bobby wholeheartedly agreed. As I attended practices and games, I noticed how he interacted with the team and I became even more convinced that he had what it took to ultimately become a head coach."

When Petrino informed Missouri State he was departing, the one directive Smart had for Moats was to spend an afternoon with Beard and see if he would be the right one for the job.

More:Wheeler: Hold your jokes. Bobby Petrino gave Missouri State football hope and should be thanked

It took about an hour and a half for Moats to offer Beard the job.

"He just wanted our job and he was excited to have our job," Moats said. "Ryan is completely bought into Springfield and Missouri State University and that was a big part of it."

What Beard learned from Petrino and how he thinks he will be different

Beard is the first to admit that he isn't Petrino. He's not one of the great offensive minds college football has seen, nor does he have the experience of being a head coach for more than 200 games. When the Bears kick off at Kansas in September, Beard will be the head coach for the first time in his career.

"You're gonna see a sense of passion and energy and effort that is renewed," Beard said. "It's an easy motto when you know that you love their heart and you can teach their mind. That's exactly what we're gonna do. By no means, I'm not Bobby Petrino, but I have been around mentors and people that know how to get it done and we will get it done."

Beard said the biggest lessons he learned from Petrino came from his intellectual knowledge of the game. The best part of each day, Beard said, was listening to Petrino talk football and offense.

"It's incredible," Beard said. "I think that I fancy myself a pretty good defensive coordinator at times, well not all the time, but he can come in there and we can go back and forth. One thing that I think, one of his terms that I love to use, is 'confront and demand.' He's not afraid to have tough conversations and that's how you grow. Sometimes it's not comfortable and sometimes it's not what you want to hear but if you're honest, that's how you really get to where you want to go."

How Beard plans on improving from a 5-6 season

Beard knows Missouri State has some work to do after a 5-6 season that followed a pair of FCS Playoff appearances. The team took a step back on both sides of the ball with poor offensive line play combined with some injuries on the defensive side of the ball.

Beard noted the Bears' struggles to finish games and how he plans on testing his team during the offseason to make sure it can play a full four-quarter game.

"We're going to grind them down a little bit and see where they are as competitors and how willing they are to compete," Beard said. "We have to find a way to get it done when it counts and that's one thing we will stress. We also still need to recruit at some places. We're not a fully-rounded football team. We can improve in that regard and I think we will."

Nick Petrino will stay as the Bears' offensive coordinator

The entire MSU football staff was in attendance for the press conference as Beard said they will all return under his leadership — which includes offensive coordinator Nick Petrino, Bobby Petrino's son.

"We have a good working relationship and he will be the offensive coordinator and it's a great opportunity for him," Beard said. "It's a chance for him to really step into the light and do his thing and do it his own kind of way. He's not Bobby Petrino either. He's Nick Petrino. When I told him that, I said 'man, find it in your heart to lead how you want to lead on offense.'"

As far as a defensive coordinator following Beard's promotion and if he'll call defensive plays, the coach said those conversations will be had after Wednesday's signing period.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State football introduces Ryan Beard as head coach