Ole Miss makes Chris Beard hire official, releases statement on decision

It’s official, former Texas Longhorns coach Chris Beard is taking over the Ole Miss Rebels.

Numerous reports connected Beard to the SEC opening over recent weeks, but the two sides made their marriage public on Monday. A loaded conference just added another behemoth to their ranks, and Ole Miss couldn’t be more excited to have Beard leading their charge.

Chris Beard Named Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Ole Miss#HottyToddy | https://t.co/qvOODULsdN pic.twitter.com/MxMF17PIcS

— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) March 13, 2023

“A four-time conference coach of the year and 2019 national coach of the year, Chris Beard will bring his long run of success to Oxford and the SEC, as he has been named the 23^rd head men’s basketball coach at Ole Miss by Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter on Monday,” wrote Ole Miss.
 
“A public introduction will take place Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT at the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. The event will be open to the public and featured live on The Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network and streamed in its entirety on SEC Network+. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.”

Chris Beard was let go from Texas despite success after a domestic violence charge that was later dropped, while the Rebels let go of Kermit Davis after five seasons. Nevertheless, the aforementioned Carter is more than exuberant to bring in Beard as Davis’ replacement, as he explained in his warm, welcoming statement regarding the hire.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Beard and his daughters, Avery, Ella and Margo, to the Ole Miss family,” Carter said, via the press release. “We thoroughly evaluated a number of outstanding candidates, and there is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in the nation. After conducting due diligence and speaking to a number of individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the right person to guide our team to greatness. 
 
“At each stop in his career, Coach Beard has proven to be a program builder and a dynamic leader whose teams exhibit relentless effort. He is a tireless recruiter and develops talent to reach their greatest potential. He has coached at multiple levels of college basketball and has competed for championships at every school. Simply put, Coach Beard is a winner, and Ole Miss Basketball’s best years are ahead of us under his leadership.”

Chris Beard is viewed one of the top coaches in college basketball, and can only be considered a tremendous hire for Ole Miss. He has experience winning in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to his days at Texas Tech. A Final Four and national championship appearance is on the resume — something the Rebels have never accomplished.

In fact, only nine appearances have occurred in program history. A 2001 Sweet Sixteen is the furthest Ole Miss has ever gone, coming under Rod Barnes as a three-seed.

Nevertheless, there’s plenty of work to be done in Oxford, and Beard is ready to get the Rebels where they want to go.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university,” Beard said, via the press release. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward to being an active part of the Oxford community. I know we have one of the best venues in the country in the SJB Pavilion, and we are going to work tirelessly to build a championship caliber program.

“I can’t wait to connect with our players and recruits and begin this journey together. Hotty Toddy!”

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this article.