In the 22-year history of Coastal Carolina football, there’s been no time like the 2020s.
After an abysmal first three years in FBS (completely understandable for a team in transition), Coastal Carolina became “America’s Team” for the pandemic-affected 2020 season. The Chants went a perfect 11-0 in the regular season, including marquee wins over a ranked Louisiana and No. 8 BYU– with College Gameday on campus in Conway. Coastal would win a share of the 2020 Sun Belt Championship due to both sides being unable to compete with COVID-19 regulations… but a share of the title with a team they had beaten in Week 4.
Never count out the Chants.
Relive our intense win against BYU, which is being dubbed “Game of the Year”! #BAM #BEL1EVE #TEALNATION pic.twitter.com/9BMqGeNWXT
— Coastal Football (@CoastalFootball) December 7, 2020
The following year, the Chants finished 10-2 and earned a berth to the 2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl. Coastal Carolina would emerge victorious with the programs first-ever bowl win, a 47-41 win over Thomas Hammock’s NIU Huskies. Coastal would go on to finish 9-4 in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Then… 2024 happened. Coastal Carolina’s first losing season (6-7) since 2019.
Head coach Tim Beck enters his third season, a decisive one in his young head coaching career. With previous head coach Jamey Chadwell’s recruits almost entirely gone, this year’s Coastal Carolina team is the first that can truly be credited to Beck– for better or for worse. The third year is extremely important for any head coach, meaning Beck has a lot to play for in 2025.
Some good news for Coastal fans, though– Beck says this is his best team, top to bottom, that he’s had in Conway.
Roster Turnover
Coastal Carolina loses eight starters on the defensive side of the ball, but the offensive core has stayed rather in-tact.
The Chants return halfback Ja’Vin Simpkins, who is projected to take the majority of handoffs. Who is handing the ball off is another story entirely.
Enter Maryland transfer MJ Morris, a guy that Beck knows quite well. Beck recruited the dual-threat quarterback to his previous home, NC State, before he and Morris both sought after greener pastures. Beck and Morris now reunite with the expectations to return Coastal to national prominence.
Morris will have a ton of great options in the air. All but one receiver eligible to return did, headlined by Jameson Tucker. The Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team-er is primed for a big season in the teal and black.
For more on Coastal Carolina’s roster turnover, click here.
Schedule Breakdown
Coastal Carolina kicks off the year with a trip to Charlottesville, Va., looking for redemption against a Virginia team that embarrassed it on its own turf. The Chants round out the non-conference with Charleston Southern and ECU, saving the fourth game for Nov. 22 against in-state SEC foe South Carolina.
It will be the usual suspects for Coastal in the stacked East Division, but it draws South Alabama to kick off conference play in Week 4 and ULM on Oct. 11 as its two cross-division tilts.
The final three games of the season will be a gauntlet, taking on a highly-touted Georgia Southern team, South Carolina, and East favorite JMU to close out the regular season– in three consecutive weeks. If Coastal manages to remain a no-loss or one-loss team through the first nine games, this stretch will have massive CFP implications.
Projected 2025 Record
Floor: 3-9
Ceiling: 11-1
Projection: 8-4
Story to Watch
MJ Morris isn’t the only dual-threat quarterback who looked to make a name for himself in Conway– in fact, he’s not the only one on campus.
Arguably the greatest career the Sun Belt has ever seen, Grayson McCall is back in teal. Just one year removed from the career-ending hit he took while at NC State, McCall joins the Coastal Carolina staff as an offensive analyst. Conway has been buzzing about No. 10 being back in town, as well as the experience he brings to the quarterback room.
With Morris announced as the starter on Aug. 27, McCall and Beck could be cooking something up in the film room. When Coastal Carolina was at its best, it ran Chadwell’s modified triple-option. When Beck convinced McCall to stay in Conway, Beck attempted to convert McCall to more of a pocket-passer– though, Coastal did not have the offensive line personnel for this to work effectively. The triple-option returned towards the end of the 2023 season, as well as at times last season with Ethan Vasko under center.
With Simpkins, Jalen John, and five other listed running backs in this seemingly “2021-esque” Coastal backfield, could that Chadwell offense, or some version of it, be returning to Conway? Let’s face it– Beck couldn’t have found a better guy to teach it other than Chadwell himself.
Coastal Carolina fans will find out soon enough, as the team heads to take on Virginia in Week 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ACC Network.
About The Author
