Coastal Carolina isn’t a full 10 days into its football coaching search to replace the fired Tim Beck, but the Chanticleers’ process is gaining some clarity, sources tell FootballScoop.

In addition to keeping interim coach Jeremiah Johnson under consideration for the full-time post as Johnson leads Coastal Carolina into its appearance in the Independence Bowl opposite Louisiana Tech, Coastal officials also have cast a wide net across football — and multiple divisions of college football, sources tell FootballScoop.

Early on Missouri State head coach Ryan Beard and Broyles Award nominee, Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic, a former Broyles Award winner, a back-to-back FCS Playoffs coach who just delivered his program’s best season in 25 years and Mercer head coach Mike Jacobs all were asked to interview.

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, the 2022 Broyles Award winner and long considered a future Football Bowls Subdivision head coach, has entered the picture at Coastal Carolina, with multiple sources telling FootballScoop that Riley and Coastal’s delegation have spoken about the job.

Two additional sources told FootballScoop on Monday, “He (Riley) is deep in it” at Coastal Carolina.

But Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill is another consistently popping up in coaching circles as it pertains to Coastal’s search. Cahill just led the Mountain Hawks to a 12-win 2025 season — their most in 25 years — and a second-straight, second-round appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.

While Cahill only has coached once in the Southeast, at UT-Martin, he had a decade-long run as a top assistant at Ivy League program Yale.

Jacobs has emerged as one of the fastest-rising coaches in college football in recent years. After taking NCAA Division II program Lenoir-Rhyne to the D-II semifinals in 2023, capping a sprint of 29 wins in three seasons, he’s now led Mercer to consecutive Southern Conference championships and back-to-back FCS Playoffs trips to the quarterfinals and second round, respectively.

Jacobs also was a candidate in UAB’s coaching search that culminated last week when interim leader Alex Mortensen landed the full-time post.

Beard helped Missouri State successfully navigate the FCS-to-FBS transition the past two years as he amassed 15 total wins.

This year’s Missouri State squad, despite it being the first season at college football’s top level and featuring a gauntlet schedule that included an opening road-trip to Big Ten resident USC, closed the regular season with an 7-5 mark and earned a bid to the XBox Bowl.

Cronic also was heavily pursued by UAB in its quest to replace the fired Trent Dilfer; multiple sources told FootballScoop on Nov. 29 that Cronic had withdraw his consideration for the position and elected not to accept UAB’s offer to become the program’s next head coach.

This one is expected to come to a decision soon. Stay tuned.Â