Chris Beard turns down Texas A&M for pay raise at Ole Miss

There was a chance Chris Beard was making an intraconference move from Ole Miss to Texas A&M, replacing Buzz Williams as head coach in College Station after taking the Maryland Job. In fact, he actually reached out to the Aggies, leading to mutual interest with A&M set to offer the 52-year-old a deal that would make him one of the highest paid coaches in the country.

“Texas A&M officials genuinely believed Chris Beard wanted their basketball job, especially when Beard initiated contact, through intermediaries, before the Aggies had a vacancy,” A&M reporter Brian Davis reported. “Aggies were ready to make the bold hire, make him one of highest paid coaches in hoops. Beard, a native Texan, told A&M people about his passion for the state and his newfound desire to beat rival Texas.”

Then came Beard’s change of heart — or his successful leverage play. Maybe both.

The Ole Miss coach renegotiated a deal with AD Keith Carter to stay in Oxford, a six-year contract that also comes with a ‘significant boost in the program’s NIL budget,’ according to On3’s own Pete Nakos.

“Sources told On3 that the Rebels’ NIL fund will now rank in the top four in the league. Most SEC schools are expected to allocate $2 to $4 million in revenue sharing to men’s basketball programs,” Nakos reports. “With NIL and revenue sharing combined, the Ole Miss NIL budget could be north of $7 million. Texas A&M was prepared to make Beard one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball with a hefty war chest in NIL.”

Beard led the Rebels to their first NCAA Tournament since 2019 with a 24-12 overall record while finishing 10-8 in the SEC. The run finished with a Sweet 16 appearance, the program’s first in over two decades. He owns a 44-24 overall record in Oxford and 280-121 all-time record across stops at McMurry, Angelo State, Little Rock, Texas Tech, Texas, and now, Ole Miss.

The search for a head coach in College Station continues. Life is good, however, in Oxford.