Coach Steve Beard is in his fourth year at the reins of the Crusaders defense. His coaching career began as a graduate assistant under Bruce Ward (former San Diego Charger and Kansas City Chief). As a 1986 graduate of Oklahoma Baptist, his first paying coaching job came as an assistant at King’s Way Christian in Douglasville, GA (1986-1991). Moving to Chattanooga in 1991, Steve earned his MPA from UTC in 1996. Coaching was put on the back burner until Temple started middle school football in 2001. Steve is married to former Jill Blaser who is an English professor at TTU. They have two children, Mitch and Chelcee. An avid outdoorsman who loves to hunt and fish, Steve is also an instrument-rated private pilot and flies at any opportunity.