Chris Beard

Chris Beard is a highly respected American basketball coach who currently serves as the head coach of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) men’s basketball team. A well-known figure in state sports, he has previously worked as a head coach at Texas, Texas Tech, Little Rock, Angelo State, McMurry, and as an assistant coach at North Texas. He is known for leading the Texas Tech Red Raiders to their deepest NCAA Tournament runs in school history, including a trip to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Game in 2019, where he was recognized as the AP National Coach of the Year.

Beard’s coaching career began with his appointment as the head coach of Fort Scott Community College, where he coached the team to its first winning season in eight years. He later went on to coach at Seminole State College, where he led the team to a 25-6 record and a 14th ranking in the country. After coaching stints at various colleges and universities, he was appointed as the head coach of Arkansas-Little Rock in 2015, where he led the Trojans to a 30-5 record in his first season, winning the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles.

In 2016, Beard took the head coaching job at Texas Tech, where he achieved a number of notable accomplishments, including the school’s first-ever Elite Eight berth, Big 12 regular season title, and a national championship game appearance. In 2021, he left Texas Tech to become the head coach at the University of Texas. With a successful track record and a wealth of experience coaching at different levels, Beard is widely considered to be one of the top basketball coaches in the country today.