Texas A&M University-San Antonio issued the following announcement.
Texas A&M-San Antonio Athletic Director Darnell Smith announced Friday the hiring of Kyle Beard as the inaugural men’s soccer coach for the Jaguars. Beard, a Tyler, Texas native, takes over the program Jan. 1, 2021 as the team prepares for its first season in the fall.
"I am proud to welcome Coach Kyle Beard to the A&M-San Antonio family. Kyle brings extensive years of experience to coaching and building soccer programs. His skillsets are invaluable for the growth of our athletics department and the student-athlete experience,” Smith said. “Kyle exudes great character and seeks to build champions both on the field and off. I am excited for him to lead our inaugural men’s soccer team.”
Beard comes to Texas A&M-San Antonio from Faulkner University, where he faced one of the toughest conference schedules in the nation. Beard who was 49-59-9 in seven-plus seasons with the Eagles, guided Faulkner to its three best seasons in the 17-year history of the program including a 9-7-1 mark in 2015, a 10-6 record in 2016, and a 10-6-1 campaign in 2017. In total, he accounted for 69% of the school’s wins and 89% of its conference victories.
“We are excited to be joining the Texas A&M-San Antonio athletic department,” Beard said. “This opportunity to help start a new soccer program in one of the most beautiful cities in Texas, from the ground up, is something my family and I are looking forward to. My wife Luz, my children, and I are all native Texans and are excited to be coming home!”
Beard started his coaching career in 1998 at the club level in Texas. After coaching club, high school, and semi-professional, he moved his family to Rwanda to work as a coach with the Rwandan Football Federation in 2006. He spent four years as the head coach of the women’s national team, the director for the first Youth Futsal league in Rwanda and as an adviser for the men’s Under-17 and Under-20 national teams.
Beard started his college coaching career after returning to the United States as the founding head coach of the men’s soccer program at Lubbock Christian University in 2009. He led LCU to an overall record of 31-16-8 in three seasons and took the Chaps to the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) tournament in 2011 and again in 2012, where they played for the SAC Championship, and finished as the regular season runner-up and SAC Championship finalist. His LCU players earned numerous individual honors, including NAIA All-American, SAC Player of Year, SAC Offensive Player of the Year, SAC Newcomer of the Year, and 10 SAC All-Conference awards.
Beard earned a bachelor’s degree from Lubbock Christian University in 2000. He continued his education studying conflict resolution at the University of Alabama, Strategic Management from the Berlin International Institute of Business Management and is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in Leadership from Auburn University. He holds coaching licenses and diplomas from the United States Soccer Federation, United Soccer Coaches, Rwanda Football Association, International Coaches Association, and the Football Association of England.
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