Today, we continue our series of an early look ahead to the teams on Liberty’s 2026 schedule. We will give a quick preview of all 12 teams that stand in the Flames’ way of hoping to get back to another bowl trip and potentially a second CUSA championship as fourth-year head coach Jamey Chadwell prepares his team for the upcoming season.
Previous:
James Madison
Gardner-Webb
Ball State
Now, we turn our attention to Liberty’s non-conference finale in Week 4 at Coastal Carolina.
Coastal Carolina
• When: Thursday, Sep. 24 in Conway, South Carolina (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
• Last year’s record: 6-7, 5-3 Sun Belt (3rd in Sun Belt East)
• Coach: Ryan Beard, 1st year at Coastal Carolina
• 2026 SP+ ranking: 119
• Series History: Liberty leads, 8-7
Last Meeting: Dec. 26, 2020 (Cure Bowl): Liberty 37, Coastal Carolina 34
Elijah James blocked a game-ending field goal attempt in overtime to secure No. 23 Liberty’s win over No. 9 Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando as the Flames finished the season at 10-1 by snapping the Chanticleers 12-game winning streak. Malik Willis was named Cure Bowl MVP after totalling 357 yards of offense and rushing for a Cure Bowl-record four touchdowns. Liberty earned its first ever win over an FBS top 25 program. Willis rushed for 137 yards on 21 carries while also passing for 220 yards on 19 of 29 attempts. Joshua Mack ran the ball 14 times for 105 yards. Alex Barbir was 3 for 3 on field goals and 4 for 4 on PATs.
Program History:
National Championships: 0 (at FBS level)
Conference Championships: 1 (at FBS level)
Bowl Record: 2-4
Last Bowl Appearance: 2025 Independence Bowl, 23-14 L vs Louisiana Tech
The former Big South rivals played every year from 2003-2016 when a rivalry was born as the two frequently determined who won the conference championship. Since moving to the FBS, the programs have only played once, in the 2020 Cure Bowl when Liberty defeated the then Jamey Chadwell led Coastal Carolina. It has been a difficult transition for the Chanticleers in the years since Chadwell left, posting an 8-5 mark in 2023 followed by a pair of losing campaigns at 6-7. It led to the ousting of former head coach Tim Beck and hiring of former Missouri State head coach Ryan Beard. He obviously has some familiarity with Chadwell and the Flames after coming into Williams Stadium and pulling the upset over Liberty with his Missouri State squad a year ago.
This year, Beard will have 56 new players on his roster with no returning starters on the offensive line and virtually no FBS experience at quarterback. Several are fighting for that starting spot this summer, including JUCO transfer Tre Guerra, Jr. who threw for 2,811 yards last season, Missouri State transfer Deuce Bailey (1 start and 335 yards passing), and Trever Jackson (played for Bobby Petrino at Arkansas but had just one pass last year). The Chanticleers are 25-7 at home since 2020.
What’s at Stake?
Liberty’s matchup with Coastal Carolina represents one of its best opportunities to earn a signature non-conference victory. Defeating a consistently competitive Sun Belt program could help strengthen Liberty’s profile, especially regionally, and provide valuable momentum heading into the heart of conference play. Not to mention, this will be Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell (and most of his staff)’s first trip back to Coastal Carolina, a place where he was the head coach for several years before taking over the Flames. Liberty and Coastal Carolina also share a healthy rivalry from their time in the FCS and Big South before the Chanticleers first left for the FBS and the Sun Belt Conference. This year’s meeting will be the first time the two have met on the gridiron in the regular season since they both moved to the FBS. Beginning this fall, the two programs are scheduled to play each of the next five seasons.
