Jeff Goodman dismisses Chris Beard to Indiana links, cites 'baggage'

The Indiana head coach search saw some big names come off the board. Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens publicly said he’s not interested, and Michigan coach Dusty May inked a restructured contract extension Friday.

That leaves more names to emerge in the search. However, The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman predicted one might not be in the mix – Ole Miss coach Chris Beard.

Beard has come up a few times after IU announced Mike Woodson was planning to step down after the season. He took over at Ole Miss last season, and has the program in the NCAA Tournament conversation this year. But the circumstances around Beard’s departure from Texas, Goodman said, could be a reason he’s farther down the Hoosiers’ wish list.

“I don’t think it’s going to be Chris Beard,” Goodman said on After Dark. “I really don’t. I think he’s down the list because of the baggage, because of the things that happened – that I know he got cleared from, but cost him his job at Texas.”

Beard was accused of assault on a family/household member stemming from an alleged incident in 2022. His fiancee alleged he strangled her, although Beard said he acted in self defense. The domestic violence charge was later dropped, though, after his fiancee released a statement recanting the allegations.

By that time, Texas announced it was moving on from Beard as head coach. He then took over for Kermit Davis at Ole Miss, taking the Rebels to a 20-12 overall record in his first season in 2023-24. Ole Miss is currently 19-7 overall and 8-5 in SEC play entering Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt.

Rick Pitino endorses Chris Beard for Indiana coach

But as Indiana gets ready for Woodson’s departure, Beard got a ringing endorsement if he is, in fact, a candidate for the position. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino – whose name has also been linked to the job – said IU should hire Beard.

“I would immediately, not even interview anybody else, and hire one of the premier coaches in all of college basketball, and that’s Chris Beard from Ole Miss,” Pitino said on Pardon My Take. “I wouldn’t even think about another person. He’s perfect for that job. He’s a tough, hard-nosed … the years I was sitting out I got friendly with him because he asked me — he didn’t know me, I didn’t know him — to come out to speak to his team. He was at Texas Tech. And I went out and spoke, but I watched two days of practice and I always judge a coach by his practices, and I have to tell you those were some of the best practices and meetings with his team that I’ve ever witnessed.

“So I am a gigantic fan of Chris Beard and I think he would kill it at Indiana. He’d have them in the Top 5-7 every single year. Remember he brought Texas Tech to the championship game and could’ve won it if that young man from Virginia didn’t hit that corner shot, the great shot that he did hit. So he’s a superstar, Top 3 coach in my estimation.”