Chris Beard is the top candidate to take over as head men’s basketball coach at Ole Miss, and the school is doing its “due diligence” on the former Texas coach, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Multiple reports on Monday said the two sides had discussed the job, which came open when Ole Miss fired Kermit Davis on Feb. 24. Ole Miss is 11-20 entering this week’s Southeastern Conference tournament. No. 13 seed Ole Miss will meet No. 12 South Carolina on Wednesday night.
Beard was fired by Texas on Jan. 5 after an alleged domestic violence incident was reported in December. He was initially suspended indefinitely without pay.
Charges were dropped against Beard on Feb. 15.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said at the time that “our office has determined that the felony offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Beard was arrested on Dec. 12, 2022, and charged with assault by strangulation/suffocation — family violence in an alleged incident with his live-in fiancee.
Beard went 112-55 in five seasons as head coach at Texas Tech before being hired away by Texas, his alma mater. He led the 2018-19 Red Raiders to the NCAA Tournament title game, falling to Virginia 85-77 in overtime.
At Texas, Beard went 29-13 in parts of two seasons. The Longhorns were 7-1 this season before Beard was suspended.
–Field Level Media