Prior to his stint with the Toledo Rockets, Beckman was the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State University. After two seasons there, in which the Cowboys posted a record of 16-10, Beckman left. On December 4, 2008, Beckman was hired to replace Tom Amstutz, who resigned during the 2008 season. Before joining the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Beckman coached at Ohio State under Jim Tressel and at Bowling Green, where he was a three-time nominee for the Frank Broyles Award.