From Upstart to Underdog: The Brief, Bold FBS History of Coastal Carolina Football
When Coastal Carolina officially joined the FBS ranks in 2017, the program wasn't just stepping up a level — it was stepping into the unknown. Tucked away in Conway, South Carolina, just a few miles from the Atlantic coast, Coastal didn’t bring a storied legacy or blue-blood reputation. What they brought was something rarer: a chip on their shoulder and a flair for the unorthodox.
They were going to do things their way — and do it on teal turf.
Tradition, Turf, and the Chanticleer Way
The Field: Brooks Stadium’s teal turf remains one of the most iconic visuals in the sport.
Shots Up: The hand signal and motto that’s come to symbolize Chanticleer confidence and edge.
Swarm Walk: Players and coaches walk through Tailgate Alley pregame as fans wave teal and black flags.
Postgame Surfboard Pic: After wins, players pose at midfield with a branded surfboard — a nod to the region’s beach roots and big-wave energy.
The Mascot: The Chanticleer — pulled from The Canterbury Tales — is a proud, clever rooster who never backs down. It’s weird. It’s perfect.
The Early Days (2017–2019): Growing Pains on the Grand Strand
The Chanticleers’ FBS debut in 2017 was rough but predictable. A 3–9 finish marked a clear learning curve, and the step up in competition hit hard. But even amid early losses, a new identity was forming — fueled by fan passion, weird energy, and one of the most unique fields in college football.
Brooks Stadium, freshly expanded to meet FBS standards, became home to the Surf Turf — a bold, teal playing surface that matched the program’s rising attitude. The facility, with its 21,000+ capacity, gave Coastal a visual brand like no other in college football. They didn’t win every week — but when they did, people noticed.
The Breakthrough (2020): Mormons, Mullets, and Mayhem
Coastal’s Cinderella moment arrived in 2020. In the midst of COVID-era chaos, the Chanticleers — under head coach Jamey Chadwell — strung together an 11-0 regular season, a share of the Sun Belt title, and a No. 14 finish in the AP Poll.
The signature moment? A last-minute showdown with undefeated BYU, scheduled on short notice and hyped nationally as Mormons vs. Mullets. Coastal delivered in dramatic fashion, stopping the Cougars at the 1-yard line to secure a 22-17 win that launched them into college football folklore.
The mullets, the teal turf, the no-fear tempo — it all felt perfectly Coastal.
Though they fell to Liberty in the Cure Bowl, the Chanticleers had made their statement. No longer just a novelty, they were a program to watch.
The Post-Chadwell Era: Searching for a Spark
Chadwell’s departure to Liberty in 2022 left Coastal at a crossroads. Tim Beck took over the program in 2023, bringing with him Power Five experience and a reputation as a quarterback-friendly mind. The hope was that Beck could sustain Chadwell’s momentum and give Coastal a stable, modern identity moving forward.
But two seasons in, the results have been mixed.
While Coastal remained bowl-eligible and competitive in most games, the offensive innovation waned, and the once-feared tempo attack felt inconsistent. Attendance dipped slightly. So did national relevance. Some within the fan base quietly began asking the hard question:
Is Tim Beck the right man to lead the next wave of Chanticleer football?
At the Edge of What’s Next
The pieces are still there — a passionate fan base, a unique brand, and the memory of what this program can be when it's firing on all cylinders. Brooks Stadium still roars. The teal turf still glows. But something’s been missing.
While Tim Beck has kept the ship afloat, the question looms larger with each season:
Is he the one to guide Coastal Carolina back to national relevance?
This is a program that’s never fit the mold — and never wanted to. It’s bold, unorthodox, and unapologetically different. And now, as it stares down another turning point, one truth remains:
“Ex Libertate Veritas” — from freedom, truth.
At Coastal Carolina, that means freedom to innovate. Freedom to build. Freedom to lead — as long as you win. Whoever takes the reins next won’t just inherit a team. They’ll inherit possibility — and the pressure that comes with it.
The teal turf is waiting. The surfboard is ready. And somewhere out there is a coach bold enough to make this program matter again.
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