Jimmy Beal begins his third season on the Northern Arizona University football staff as the running backs coach after joining the staff in the fall of 2010.

Beal has developed running back Zach Bauman into one of the top running backs in the country in his first two seasons on campus. Bauman led the Big Sky Conference in rushing as a sophomore, ranking fourth overall in the FCS in yards per game. He was named an All-America second team selection by Beyond College Sports Network and All-Big Sky first-team honors.

Entering the 2012 season, he is the first back in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons after setting the freshman rushing mark in 2010.

Beal tutored Bauman into one of the top freshmen in the country in rushing yards per game in his first season in Flagstaff. He was one of four freshmen in Division I to average more than 94 yards per game, ranked 25th overall in the FCS in rushing per game and was the top freshman in the FCS. Bauman, who was an All-Big Sky second-team selection, became the second freshman in school history to reach 1,000 yards in a season and surpassed Alex Henderson’s freshman record of 1,014 yards set in 2006. He recorded the 14th 1,000-yard season by a running back in school history.

Beal joined the program from the University of Redlands, where he worked with the defensive backs in the spring of 2010. Prior to Redlands, he was a graduate assistant at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas in 2009 and worked as the running backs coach at Rocky Mountain College in Billings under current NAU assistant David Reeves in 2008.

Beal began his football coaching career at Rocky Mountain coaching the receivers from 2005-07. He also coached the sprints at Montana State-Billings from 2006-09.

Beal played collegiately at Montana State from 2002-04 before joining Reeves’ team at Rocky Mountain College. He was named the most valuable player and most valuable running back in 2006.

The Los Angeles, Calif., native also worked for Yellowstone Youth Services in Billings from 2005-08 and Skyhawks Sports Camps from 2006-07, as well as a coach at the YMCA in Billings from 2005-06.

He graduated from Montana State with a degree in art education and minor in coaching in 2006. He received his master’s degree in sport management from Montana State-Billings in 2009.

Jimmy Beal, Running Backs
Born: Oct. 22, 1984
College: Montana State University-Bozeman, 2007; Montana State University-Billings, 2009
Playing Experience: Montana State 2002-4, Rocky Mountain College, 2005-06
Family: Single
Recruiting Areas: Los Angeles / Inland Empire (Riverside & San Bernardino Counties) / Northern Orange County HS (CA)

Beal’s Coaching Chronology