Dan Beard joined the Gettysburg College staff in the spring of 2025 as the Special Teams Coordinator and linebackers’ coach. In Beard’s 1st year as the Special Teams Coordinator he made an immediate impact in helping Gettysburg College ranked nationally in Blocked Kicks with 3 Punts Blocked 1 returned for a Touchdown against Centennial Conference Champion Franklin and Marshall 2 Blocked Punts against Ursinus, 1 FG Block against Christopher Newport and 2 Extra Point Blocks against Juniata. Beard’s Kicker Isaac Park-Gills was 7-9 on the year with field goals made had the longest field goal made in the Centennial Conference at 49 yards. Park Gills also made 4 Field Goals from 40+. Park -Gills was also 26/27 on PATs a drastic improvement from the prior year before Beard’s arrival. Gettysburg College Kickoff Return Game produced 1 Touchdown on the year with a return of 74 yards against McDaniel College along with true freshman returner Gabe Diaz ranking #6 Nationally in all D3 with Kickoff Return Yards in only 9 Games. Gettysburg College Punt Return Team Average was 9.75 yards per return. Gettysburg College also converted 3 Successful Fake Punts 1 against Nationally Ranked Opponents John’s Hopkins and 2 against Centennial Conference Champion Franklin and Marshall. Due to the Success of Gettysburg College’s Special Teams Beard spoke at the AFCA National Convention Skills and Drills on Special Teams.
No stranger to the region and Pennsylvania, Beard spent six seasons as special team's coordinator and linebackers' coach at Division II Millersville. Since joining the Marauders' staff in 2018, Beard helped develop some of the top linebackers in the PSAC, including Isaiah Onuschak, a three-time All-PSAC East performer, and Garrett Cox, who became Millersville's first All-American since 1998. Beard's work with the special teams showed with punter Zach Banta being named all-region and setting a program record for punting average in 2022. For a follow-up, Banta earned All-PSAC East honors for a second time in 2023 and recorded the longest punt in Millersville history. Kicker Trent McDowell tied a program record for the longest field goal, and Hakim Melvin returned two kicks for touchdowns. In 2024, Millersville blocked two field goals and four extra points. His unit blocked a total of 16 kicks from 2018-24, including nine extra points, six field goals and one punt block returned for a Touchdown against Shepherd in 2021. In total, the Marauders scored four touchdowns on special teams under his tutelage. As the primary recruiter for Central PA and District 3, Beard recruited Jaheim Morris from Cedar Cliff High School who become a two-time All-PSAC East performer and finished in the top-10 all-time in career rushing yards at Millersville.
As the academic coordinator for the football team, 10 Marauders earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors from 2022-24 while Steve Sweeney became the first Millersville football player since 2001 to earn Academic All-America honors. In 2023, Sweeney became the first Millersville student-athlete in any sport to be named CSC Academic All-America two times.
In 2023, Beard shared his expertise in special teams by publishing an article titled "Tilt the Field on Special Teams: Teaching and Succeeding with Generation Z Special Teams Players" in the AFCA technical manual.
After a four-year playing career at Shenandoah, Beard quickly climbed the coaching ranks, working with programs at the Division III, Division II and Division I FCS levels.
As a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs at Shippensburg, Beard built a reputation as a tenacious recruiter in Western Pennsylvania and Maryland and contributed to one of the nation's best defenses in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Beard coached All PSAC East Selection Cornerback Kevin Taylor His defensive backs helped the unit rank No. 8 in Division II in turnovers forced in in 2016 and it led all of Division II in turnover margin in 2015. He helped the defense total top 30 rankings in eight categories in 2016 and four in 2015. Beard was also responsible for instructing the kickoff team. In 2015, Shippensburg’s defense led NCAA Division II with a plus-20 turnover margin – a feat that included 20 interceptions. All four starting members of the SU secondary finished the season with multiple interceptions, while SU’s defense tied a school record with three pick-6s on the year.
Beard was also special team's coordinator, defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coach for start-up program Alvernia. Responsible for York, Adams, Dauphin and Cumberland counties in Pennsylvania as well as counties in Maryland and Virginia and the state of Florida, Beard successfully recruited 26 student-athletes to a program that had not yet played a game. Beard also worked as the team's social media coordinator. As a graduate assistant coaching linebackers at McDaniel College from 2013-15. he also worked closely with special teams and strength and conditioning. From 2011-13, Beard served as the outside linebackers coach and strength and conditioning co-coordinator at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA
Prior to graduating from Shenandoah with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in 2011, Beard interned with the strength and conditioning staff and James Madison University.
As a player, Beard played one season at fullback and three on the defensive side of the ball. He was a ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team selection as well as a two-time All-USA South Conference All-Academic Team member. He received the Walter Barr Unsung Hero Award at the conclusion of his Senior Year. Beard earned a master's degree in exercise science and physical education from McDaniel in 2015 and a master's degree in organizational leadership development from Shippensburg in 2017. Beard is currently working on his Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Shenandoah University. The Hanover native played his high school football at Delone Catholic under Pennsylvania High School Football Coaches Hall of Famer Dennis Frew. Beard’s dad Joel Beard was a longtime Assistant Football Coach in Maryland at Randallstown High School winning State Titles in 1984 , 1990 as a Defensive Coordinator