Ole Miss To Hire Ex-Texas Coach Chris Beard

Ole Miss will name ex-Texas coach Chris Beard its new men’s basketball coach, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the situation.

The news was also reported by Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

Ole Miss fired Kermit Davis last month after he went 74-79 in five seasons.

Kevin Carter, the school’s athletic director, recently met with Beard. He also considered other coaches, including Dusty May of Florida Atlantic.

In January, Texas fired Beard, 49, after he was arrested in December on felony assault charges resulting from a domestic violence incident with his fiancee, Randi Trew.

He was in the second year of a seven-year deal worth more than $5 million annually. The charge was later dropped.

“I am pleased with the announcement that the charges against me have been dismissed,” Beard said in a statement last month. “While I always had faith and confidence in the truth and this outcome, it has been extremely challenging to wait patiently and not publicly respond.”

While hiring Beard could be risky from a PR-standpoint, he’s clearly an excellent coach. Beard is 237-98 in his coaching career which has included stops at Texas Tech and Texas. He led Texas Tech to the 2019 NCAA championship game.

Beard will coach against Texas in the SEC beginning in 2024 when the Longhorns and Oklahoma join the conference.