$1.7 million college football coach abruptly fired after final game of season

Coastal Carolina announced Sunday that Tim Beck has been relieved of his duties as head coach, effective immediately.

Defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson will serve as interim coach for the Chanticleers’ upcoming bowl game, the school said in a release from the athletics department.

Beck arrived in Conway in December 2022 after a long run as a Power-5 coordinator (Nebraska, Ohio State, Texas, and NC State) and was hired on a five-year deal that paid roughly $1 million a year with several performance clauses.

Through three seasons at Coastal, he finished 20-18 overall with a 1-1 bowl mark; his tenure included an 8-5 debut and a Hawaii Bowl victory in 2023.

BREAKING: Coastal Carolina is firing head coach Tim Beck, @PeteNakos reports❌https://t.co/Z3SqCUxEqO pic.twitter.com/phrHPkDNpL
— On3 (@On3sports) November 30, 2025

The program slipped at the worst possible time.

Coastal closed the 2025 regular season with three straight losses — a 45-40 defeat at Georgia Southern, a 51-7 loss at South Carolina, and a 59-10 home defeat by No. 20 James Madison — and finished the year 6-6 (5-3 Sun Belt).

The JMU loss was especially significant, as Coastal was held to minus-five rushing yards and was outgained 525-170 in a blowout that completed JMU’s unbeaten Sun Belt run.

In its statement, Coastal’s AD, Chance Miller, said the school conducted "a comprehensive review of our entire football program and its trajectory" and concluded "a change is needed moving forward," adding that the expectation is to "win the Sun Belt conference championship and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff."

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers head coach Tim Beck. — Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers head coach Tim Beck disputes a call against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Beck carries a $1.1 million base salary (with win-based bump provisions) and a total buyout figure of around $1.7 million.

Beck's previous stints as offensive coordinator and clear recruiting ties make him a viable candidate for Power-5 coordinator roles or a Group of 5 head-coaching job.

That said, being dismissed after a 6-6 season, plus the optics of late-season blowouts, likely narrows immediate Power-5 head opportunities.

The most realistic future for Beck would be a coordinator role at a larger program or a head coaching job at mid-level FBS schools.

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