Coastal Carolina University did not have a football team until 2003. The program was established in the late 1990s, and the team played its inaugural season in 2003 on campus at Brooks Stadium. The team's first coach was David Bennett, who held the position from the team's inception until December 9, 2011.
The Chanticleers have had some success in their short history. They have won seven Big South Conference championships, winning two of them outright and five shared. They also won one Sun Belt Conference championship which was shared with Louisiana in the 2020 season. The 2020 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game was not played when Coastal Carolina was unable to participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the the 1960s the teams of Coastal Carolina were knwon by the "Trojans" nickname, however in the 1960s the school became an affiliate of the Iniversity of South Carolina and it was suggested that their moniker have ties to both the local region and pay tribute to the Gamecocks name at USC. Thus the Chanticleers, which is a proud and fierce rooster was adopted as the official mascot.
The Chanticleers have also had some individual success. In 2014, quarterback Zach MacDowell was named the Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Year. In 2017, wide receiver Jaivon Heiligh was named the Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Year and the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year.
The Chanticleers have made some noise on the national stage in recent years. In 2020, they were ranked as high as 17th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. They also made an appearance in the 2021 Cure Bowl, where they lost to Liberty.
