Chris Beard
Chris Beard (born February 18, 1973)
Current position: Head men’s basketball coach
Current team: Ole Miss Rebels
Current conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
McMurry record: 19–10 (.655)
Angelo State record: 47–15 (.758)
Little Rock record: 30-5 (.857)
Texas Tech record: 112-55 (.671)
Texas record: 29-13 (.690)
Ole Miss record: 20-12 (.625)
Overall record^: 257-110 (.700)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0 (Runner-up in 2019)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 5 (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 2 (2018, 2019)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (2019)
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- SEC Regular Season Champion: 0
- Big 12 Regular Season Champion: 1 (2019)
- Sun Belt Regular Season Champion: 1 (2016)
- SEC Tournament Champion: 0
- Sun Belt Tournament Champion: 1 (2016)
- NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances: 1 (2015)
Awards:
- AP Coach of the Year: 1 (2019)
- John McLendon Award: 1 (2018)
- Big 12 Coach of the Year: 2 (2018, 2019)
- Sun Belt Coach of the Year: 1 (2016)
- Lone Star (Div II) Coach of the Year: 1 (2015)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2023-present | Ole Miss |
| 2021-2022 | Texas |
| 2016-2021 | Texas Tech |
| 2015-2016 | Little Rock |
| 2013-2015 | Angelo State |
| 2012-2013 | McMurry |
| 2011-2012 | South Carolina Warriors |
| 2008-2011 | Texas Tech (assoc. HC) |
| 2001-2008 | Texas Tech (asst) |
| 2000-2001 | Seminole State JC |
| 1999-2000 | Fort Scott CC |
| 1997-1999 | North Texas (asst) |
| 1996-1997 | Abilene Christian (asst) |
| 1995-1996 | Incarnate Word (asst) |
| 1991-1995 | Texas (student asst) |
Chris Beard Facts
- Christopher Michael Beard
- Born February 18, 1973
- Hometown: Irving, Texas
- Alma Mater: University of Texas (BS, 1995)
- Started out as a student assistant for Tom Penders at Texas during his undergrad from 1991-1995
- Was an assistant for one year at Incarnate Word under Danny Kaspar, one at Abilene Christian under Shanon Hays and two at North Texas under Vic Trilli
- Spent seven seasons as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight at Texas Tech
- Promoted to associate head coach at Texas Tech in 2008 and held that position for three years under Pat Knight
- First head coaching jobs were one season each at Fort Scott CC (KS) and Seminole State JC (OK)
- Was head coach at Division II McMurry for one season, going 19-10 overall
- Was then head coach at Division II Angelo State for two seasons, compiling an overall record of 47-15
- In one season as the head coach at Little Rock, Beard led the Trojans to Sun Belt regular season and Tournament titles, the NCAA Tournament and the first 30-win season in program history
- Accepted the head coach position at UNLV in March 2016, but when the Texas Tech job became available he left Vegas for Lubbock
- Led the Red Raiders to a 24-win season in his second year, earning a trip to the 2018 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
- The following year, Beard led Tech to a share of the 2019 Big 12 regular season title, the first conference title for the program since 1996, and led the Red Raiders to their first ever Final Four and a NCAA Tournament runner-up finish
- Was 112-55 over five years at the helm, winning 18+ games each year and reaching the NCAA Tournament three times
- Hired in April 2021 to be the head coach at his alma mater, Texas
- On December 12, 2022, Beard was arrested overnight at a home in Texas and charged with felony family assault
- Officially fired in January 2023 after 2+ weeks on unpaid leave; finished with a 29-13 record in 1+ seasons at the helm
- In March 2023, Beard was hired to be the new head coach at Ole Miss in the SEC
Chris Beard Coaching Tree
- Mark Adams (Texas Tech)
- Cinco Boone (Angelo State)
- Brian Burg (Georgia Southern)
- Wes Flanigan (Little Rock)
- Clint Galyean (Wayland Baptist, Central Baptist)
- Chris Ogden (Texas-Arlington)
- Brette Tanner (Abilene Christian)
- Rodney Terry (Texas)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels only