Ole Miss holds on to head coach Chris Beard after heavy push from A&M
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head men’s basketball coach Chris Beard will remain in Oxford with the Rebels, as has been confirmed through our sources — as well as apparently through the social media account of Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter who posted Wednesday afternoon on X.
Why stop now? 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/SD9tcr8Npd
— Keith Carter (@KeithCarterOM) April 2, 2025
The Rebels fended off very hefty offers from SEC rival Texas A&M, who had been launching an all-out push for Beard. Chase Parham of RebelGrove.com reports the Aggies offered Beard a deal worth $7.3 million in salary and an increase in monies allotted for NIL. However, the Ole Miss head coach has elected to stay in Oxford, with Carter and the Grove Collective putting their money where their mouths are, in effect.
It’s no wonder the Aggies would look to replace former coach Buzz Williams, who left for Maryland, with Beard, as the Rebels’ coach has been successful every place he’s coached. His overall record is 281-122, giving him one of the highest winning percentages of any active Division I coach with 10 or more years of coaching.
Beard just concluded his second season at Ole Miss, taking his team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and reaching the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history. The Rebels finished 24-12 overall and 10-8 in the SEC this year, falling to Michigan State this past weekend in a close loss in the Sweet 16. Ole Miss’ 24 wins is tied for second-most in school history. Beard was this week named Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.
Rumors had been running rampant in recent days that Beard might be leaving for A&M, but recently he spoke with Zach Gelb of the Infinity Sports Network and indicated he is happy where he is.
“We’re at Ole Miss for a reason. We believe in this place, and we love this place,” said Beard. “We’re just getting started. This is the early days in Oxford.”
This is a must watch.
“We’re at Ole Miss for a reason. We believe in this place and we love this place. We’re just getting started. This is the early days in Oxford.”
Chris Beard is here to stay. Oxford is home
pic.twitter.com/ihIxf8Ezo9— Everything Ole Miss (@EverythingRebs) March 26, 2025
We will bring you details of Beard’s new contract information as soon as it becomes available.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
