Chris Beard

Christopher Michael Beard was born on February 18, 1973, in Marietta, Georgia. He grew up in Irving, Texas, and later moved to The Woodlands, Texas, where he attended McCullough High School. Instead of playing college basketball, Beard chose to become a student manager for the University of Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team under head coach Tom Penders. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas in 1995. Beard furthered his education by receiving a Master’s degree in education from Abilene Christian University in 1998, where he also served as a graduate assistant, marking the early stages of his coaching career.

Beard’s career progression saw him take on various coaching roles, including assistant positions at Abilene Christian and North Texas. His first head coaching positions were at Fort Scott Community College in 1999–2000, where he led the team to a 19–12 record, and at Seminole State College in 2000–01, achieving a 25–6 record and a No. 14 national ranking. From 2001 to 2011, Beard spent a significant period at Texas Tech as an assistant and then associate head coach under Bob Knight and Pat Knight, contributing to four NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 run in 2005. He also coached the South Carolina Warriors of the American Basketball Association to a 29–2 record in 2011–12. He then led Angelo State to a program-record 28 wins and an NCAA Division II Sweet 16 appearance in 2014–15.

In 2015–16, Beard’s single season as head coach at Little Rock was marked by a 30–5 record, a Sun Belt Conference title, and an upset win over Purdue in the NCAA Tournament, earning him the Sun Belt Coach of the Year award. He then returned to Texas Tech in 2016, transforming the program into a national contender. Under his leadership, the Red Raiders reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2018 and the National Championship game in 2019, securing the Big 12 regular season co-championship. For these achievements, Beard was named the 2019 AP National Coach of the Year. He moved to his alma mater, the University of Texas, in 2021, leading them to a 22-12 record and a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season. In 2023, he accepted the head coaching position at Ole Miss, where in the 2024-25 season, he guided the team to 24 victories and a Sweet 16 appearance, earning him the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year award.