Ryan Beard is back at Western Kentucky.

The former WKU safety and Bowling Green High School product is the Hilltoppers’ new safeties coach, the school announced Wednesday.

Beard spent two seasons on the coaching staff as a defensive graduate assistant in 2012-13. Following a stop at Louisville in defensive quality control, Beard spent the 2015 season at Northern Michigan as the secondary coach for the Wildcats.

For his WKU career, Beard appeared in 34 games and registered 170 career tackles, including a career-best 71 during his junior season in 2010. He also lettered four seasons under coach Kevin Wallace at BGHS.

“We’re happy to have Ryan Beard on board,” Topper coach Jeff Brohm said Wednesday following the first practice of fall camp. “He takes a lot of pride in this program and trying to help it be successful.

“He was a graduate assistant here, he’s lived here, he’s got a big family here and I think he’s a guy that’s going to bring some energy, some enthusiasm to the defensive backfield position. … I feel like he’s going to be a great recruiter and he’s going to be an asset to our program.”

DB coaching duties will be split between Beard and graduate assistant Chris Springer, who’ll work with cornerbacks. Secondary coach Mike Cassity will move to off-field duties due to health concerns, Brohm said.

Cassity has been WKU’s secondary coach since 2013. The former Kentucky player (1971-76) also served a stint with the Hilltoppers as a defensive assistant from 1983-88.

“Coach Cassity is going through some health issues right now,” Brohm said. “We’re trying to be there for him and hopefully everything will work out. Right now we’ve got to make sure we have someone in his spot but yes, he’ll be in an off-field role.”

Three current Hilltopper assistant coaches on the offensive side of the ball also added additional titles heading into the 2016 campaign.

Tight ends and special teams coordinator Tony Levine and quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm will serve as co-offensive coordinators under Brohm. Wide receivers coach Bryan Ellis has added the title of passing game coordinator.

WR Lane among impressive newcomers

Brohm was asked Wednesday morning at the team’s Media Day what Class of 2016 newcomers stand out to him.

The first name Brohm mentioned was wide receiver Xavier Lane, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver out of Carver High School in Montgomery, Ala.

“From what we have seen as far as guys that will stand out, Xavier Lane is a receiver that gives some size that we don’t have,” Brohm said. “He’s 6-3-plus and has been an extremely hard worker up to this point. We like what we see from him.”

Lane was a three-star prospect coming out of high school according to Rivals, Scout and 247Sports. He was named the No. 3 wide receiver and No. 14 prospect overall in the state of Alabama by Scout.

“He’s definitely hungry,” redshirt sophomore wide receiver Will Bush said of Lane. “I like him.

“He’s a good kid, he knows what he wants to do. Mindset-wise, he’s ahead of a lot of freshmen I’ve seen. He’ll definitely be good.”

Other freshmen mentioned by Brohm included running back Quinton Baker, tight end Kyle Fourtenbary and safety Devon Key.

Simcox’s 2016 eligibility still in question

One of WKU’s key summer additions was sophomore kicker Skyler Simcox, a transfer from Division III Emory & Henry College in Virginia.

But Brohm said Wednesday it’s still unclear as to whether or not Simcox will be allowed to play in 2016 or if he’ll have to sit out a season for NCAA transfer rules.

“We don’t know all the details on Skyler Simcox,” Brohm said. “We’re still working through a few things there.”

Should Simcox be eligible, he’d be a strong candidate in the race to fill the starting kicking job vacated by the graduation of Garrett Schwettman.

Simcox, a 6-foot, 175-pound native of Abingdon, Va., was 9-of-11 from field goals and 38-of-40 on extra points last year for Emory & Henry.

Another new contestant in the kicking race, Josh Cole, should be eligible to play this year, Brohm said. Cole, a sophomore, transferred to WKU from Nassau Community College in New York.

Notes

Former Bowling Green HS offensive lineman Jordan Meredith was present at WKU’s practice Wednesday. He wasn’t announced as a part of WKU’s signing class but is expected to suit up for practice as soon as he’s physically cleared, Brohm said. … Other new additions to the Hilltopper roster are freshman linebacker Tyler Obee and freshman wide receiver John Stratton. … Senior wide receiver Taywan Taylor wasn’t present at Media Day or practice due to a family emergency, the school said.

-Follow Daily News sports reporter Brad Stephens on Twitter @BradBGDN or visit bgdailynews.com.