Coastal Carolina fires offensive coordinator Travis Trickett. What happens now?

After going 1-3 in the last four games, CCU is changing its coaching staff. Offensive Coordinator Travis Trickett has been relieved of coaching duties, according to a press release from the university.

Head Coach Tim Beck will take over play-calling duties. Beck has been an offensive coordinator at Nebraska, Ohio State, Texas and N.C. State previously.

“We appreciate everything Travis and his family have done during their time here at Coastal and wish them nothing but the best. I will be taking over the duties of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach,” Beck said in an email press release. “As head football coach, I believe this is best for our team moving forward.”

Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations Rixon Lane said that he did not know if the change was made today, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, or after Saturday’s loss to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns.

Trickett declined to provide comment when The Sun News reached out.

The move was a surprise, following another twist during CCU’s loss to the University of Louisiana. Starting quarterback Ethan Vasko was benched for Noah Kim after initially struggling versus the Ragin’ Cajuns. While Kim played better, the offense still couldn’t overcome the 14-0 hole Coastal dug for itself early in the game. Indeed, Beck and Kim seemed in somber moods during the post-game press conference.

Coastal’s offensive struggles had mounted since the second half of CCU’s win against Temple, but there had been no indication that a coaching change was imminent. While Coastal’s offense powered the Chants to a 3-0 start to the season through a mostly conservative, although sometimes explosive approach, CCU’s struggled to maintain momentum on offense ever since losing to the University of Virginia.

The offense revived itself against Old Dominion but ran cold again against rivals James Madison University, which bled into the Chants’ quarter of its homecoming outing versus UL Lafayette.

Injuries at running back and the offensive line had seemingly curtailed the Chants’ ground game. Before the season, Trickett said that running the ball would be the focus of the offense using a ‘power spread’ offense approach.

This approach bore fruit for the Chants in its first three games but faced more challenges as the season progressed. Coastal has deployed a more balanced attack in recent weeks, but the ongoing problems with passing games staying in sync have remained.

JMU completely shut down CCU’s passing game after an early touchdown. Receivers dropped passes, and the offense reverted to swing passes and short throws behind the line of scrimmage against the Ragin’ Cajuns. It stood in stark contrast to the much more explosive unit that the Chants deployed to start the year, which was sometimes inconsistent.

Trickett arrived at CCU after formerly serving as the University of South Florida’s offensive coordinator in 2022. Beck and Trickett had never coached on the same team before coming to CCU. Still, the two spoke highly of one another at the beginning of their partnership, stewarding CCU’s offense as two offensive-minded coaches.

Beck called Trickett an innovative mind in 2023. Trickett said in 2023 that Beck allowed him to implement his vision for the offense.

“As far as the X’s and O’s, he’s going to let us do what we need to do because he has confidence in our staff. We have a great offensive staff,” Trickett added in his August 2023 interview with The Sun News.

However, Beck also added in later interviews and press conferences that the pair collaborated on the offense.

“If I knew Coach Beck was going to be the guy leading the program and everything, he kind of portrayed to me what his vision program would be; I knew that aligned with me and my family’s values,” Trickett said in an August 2023 interview.

Thus, in 2023, Trickett and Beck oversaw the complete transformation of Coastal’s offensive identity. The spread option preferred by former CCU Head Coach Jamey Chadwell was slowly phased out and replaced by a pro-style, quick-passing air raid base that occasionally used the Chadwell system.

Part of the change-over was intended to help former CCU quarterback Grayson McCall prove he was an NFL-caliber quarterback. However, Coastal struggled to start the 2023 season. Mccall developed an uncharacteristic turnover problem before regaining strong form, only for an in-game concussion to end his season and career as a Chant. The offensive production improved despite the slow start, and three different starting quarterbacks in 2023 and 2024 served as Trickett’s first year to fully implement his offensive vision while straddling between new and old philosophies.

It will now be up to Beck to pilot the team now 4-3 on the season for the final five games. Coastal has a bye week before traveling to face Troy in Alabama Nov. 2, 2024, at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of the story misquoted Trickett’s plans for running the football before the 2024 season. (Updated Oct. 21, 2024 6:54 p.m.).