Ole Miss and head basketball coach Chris Beard have agreed to a contract extension.
Though year one is not quite over as the Rebels are currently preparing for round one of the SEC Tournament against Texas A&M, Beard has already amassed 20 wins in his inaugural campaign in Oxford — the first time Ole Miss has eclipsed that figure in five years.
Hired in March 2023, Beard, a four-time conference coach of the year and 2019 national coach of the year, took over the helm of the Ole Miss program and caught attention early during his first year with a 13-0 start to the season. That tied the program record for the longest winning streak of all time, as the Rebels were one of just three teams nationally to be undefeated at that point in the season.
“The future of Ole Miss Basketball could not be brighter under Coach Beard’s leadership,” Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter said.
“His impact on every facet of our program was immediately apparent, and it has translated to a new standard of success and a culture that is building every day. He has galvanized Rebel Nation, and particularly our student body, and created a newfound passion for men’s basketball that is felt throughout the entire Ole Miss community. We could not be more excited to strengthen our investment in the program and can’t wait to see what the many years ahead hold with Coach Beard leading our team.”
Beard came to Oxford after a shortened tenure at Texas stemming from a legal matter that has since been rectified. The basketball guru made previous stops at a laundry list of programs including Arkansas Little Rock and Texas Tech, which was featured in the 2019 national championship game.
He replaced Kermit Davis after the Mississippi native posted a 74-79 record with the program and saw a decline in conference wins and overall performance from during his last two years at the helm.
“I appreciate Chancellor Boyce, Keith, and the Ole Miss administration for their belief and support as we continue on our path of building a championship program in Oxford,” Beard said. “I also want to express my gratitude to the Ole Miss fan base, supporters, alumni, and our students for their dedication to our players and program. We are just getting started. Great times ahead in the SJB Pavillion and Oxford.”
Tipoff between Ole Miss and Texas A&M is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. central. Both teams achieved victory over each other in the regular season with the Rebels ousting the Aggies in College Station and vice versa at the SJB Pavilion this past Saturday.
As for NCAA Tournament hopes, the Rebels would essentially have to win the conference tournament to appear in the Big Dance. Beard has not yet confirmed if he would accept a bid for his team to play in the lesser National Invitation Tournament.
