Tim Beck
Head Football Coach
Tim Beck enters his second season as Pittsburg State University's head football coach and his 25th year on the Gorillas staff.
Beck served for 16 years as the Gorillas' offensive coordinator and 23 seasons as a member of the Pitt State coaching staff before becoming his alma mater's 14th Head Football Coach at a press conference on Dec. 9, 2009.
In his inaugural season, Beck guided a youthful Pitt State squad to a 6-6 overall record, including a 13-9 victory over Concordia-St. Paul in the 2010 Mineral Water Bowl at Excelsior Springs, Mo.
Beck previously served as Assistant Head Coach for two years, after being named to that role on the Pitt State staff on December 13, 2007.
During his 16 seasons as offensive coordinator, the Gorilla offense consistently ranked among the finest units in NCAA Division II.
In 2008, Beck was selected the inaugural NCAA Division II Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com, following a vote of his coaching peers.
In 2004, Beck's offensive unit established itself as the most prolific squad in the history of NCAA football. PSU shattered a 118-year-old scoring record, scoring an amazing 837 points (55.8 ppg). His squad also set the NCAA all division records for rushing (5,320 yards) and total offense (8,976 yards).
Beck's teams twice led Division II in scoring (2004, 2006) and ranked in the top two nationally in total offense three times (2004, 2005, 2006). His squads ranked among the national rushing leaders every season, leading Division II in 1995 (318.8 ypg) and 2004 (354.7 ypg). Beck's "multiple choice" option attack also compiled 16,483 passing yards (216.9 ypg) and 143 aerial touchdowns during his final six seasons as offensive coordinator (2004-09).
Beck's offense produced four MIAA Offensive MVPs in a seven-year period between 2003-09 - quarterback Neal Philpot (2003-04) and tailback Germaine Race (2005-06) as well as the first-team All-MIAA quarterback (Neal Philpot, 2003-04; Andy Majors, 2005; Mark Smith, 2007) four times in the same seven-year period of time.
Race shattered the NCAA all division scoring record (634 points) and the NCAA-II rushing record (6,985 yards) among his 22 NCAA record book entries during his decorated career (2003-06). Philpot set the MIAA career total offense record (10,168 yards) and compiled a 38-8 (.826) record as the Gorillas' starting quarterback (2001-04).
In 2007-08, Caleb Farabi garnered first-team All-MIAA honors, marking the fifth and sixth straight years Beck produced a first-team All-MIAA running back.
Pitt State averaged a staggering 38.8 points and 442.5 yards of total offense per game during his tenure as offensive coordinator.
Prior to assuming the offensive coordinator's role, Beck served two years as Pitt State's defensive coordinator (1992-93). He became a full-time assistant on the Pitt State staff in 1989, after serving first as a student assistant (1987) and then as a graduate assistant (1988).
Beck worked with defensive ends, tight ends and wide receivers during his initial two seasons, before concentrating primarily on the inside linebacking corps from 1989-93. He worked with PSU's quarterbacks from 1994-2009.
During his tenure on the PSU staff, Beck has coached 18 All-Conference players and 10 All-Americans.
Beck, a member of the American Football Coaches Association, has been a frequently-requested guest speaker at several national and regional coaching clinics as well as regional and local civic events.
Beck was a two-year football letterman at Pittsburg State, playing defensive back for the Gorillas from 1985-86. He earned All-CSIC honors both seasons and was an NAIA All-District 10 pick as a senior. Beck also was a team captain in 1986.
Beck, a Ness City, Kan., native, played football at Dodge City Community College for two years before joining the Gorilla program. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from PSU in 1988 and a master's degree in physical education from PSU in the summer of 1989.
He is married to the former Gena Thomas, who competed in track & field and cross country for Pittsburg State from 1987-88. She serves as the Director of Donor Research in the PSU Development Office.
The couple have a son, Derek, who turns 18 on Dec. 25, a daughter, Sydney, who turns 16 on Dec. 30, a son, Drew, who turned 13 on July 24, and a daughter, Samantha, who turns seven on Feb. 11.