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Chris Beard, former Texas coach, is leading candidate for Ole Miss head job

By Harley Hudson

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 18: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Longhorns looks on from the sidelines in the first half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Fiserv Forum on March 18, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 18: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Longhorns looks on from the sidelines in the first half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Fiserv Forum on March 18, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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There’s a leading candidate now for the Ole Miss basketball head coach opening. Former Texas men’s basketball coach Chris Beard has emerged as a top prospect to fill the vacancy. 

ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello have reported that Chris Beard is one of the front runners to take over the struggling program in Oxford. Beard officially interviewed for the job a few days ago.

The University of Texas fired Beard this past January after he was arrested on December 12. Beard was charged with third-degree felony assault on a family/household member who was later to be revealed as Beard’s fiancé.

In February the Charges were dropped against Beard and Ole Miss has reportedly begun doing their “due diligence” on the former Texas coach.

Beard began his coaching career at the University of Texas as a graduate assistant in 1991. He coached as an assistant on several teams before getting his first head coaching job in 1999 at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas.

He then served as the head coach of five total schools before he was hired to take over at Texas Tech University in 2016 where he would spend five years as the head coach compiling a record of 112-55.

That’s when Texas came calling in 2021 and Beard answered the call. He went 22-12 in his first year in Austin and made the NCAA tournament’s round of 32. This year the Longhorns were sitting at 7-1 under Beard before he was arrested and charged.

After whiffing on the Kermit Davis hire and enduring multiple losing seasons recently, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Ole Miss basketball program make a splash hire like Beard.

Kermit Davis was fired on February 24 of this year after going 10-18 and winning just two SEC games this season. He was just 74-79 all-time as the Ole Miss head coach.

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