Chris Beard, Rod Barnes Reflect on Ole Miss Tradition Ahead of Tonight’s Tad Smith Finale
OXFORD, Miss. — On the eve of what will be the final game ever played inside the aging Tad Smith Coliseum, two eras of Ole Miss basketball converged. Current head coach Chris Beard and former head coach (and former Rebel star) Rod Barnes sat side-by-side Thursday afternoon, trading stories, praise, and reflections on the program they’ve both helped shape.
For Beard, honoring the past is not simply ceremonial—it’s foundational.
“Obviously a big weekend for our program,” Beard said.
“We’ve got an important basketball game on the schedule, but equally important is bringing back Coach Barnes and his family. I said this when we got the job, there’s a lot of tradition here at Ole Miss, and part of our responsibility as the current caretakers of the program is to ignite all the past eras of basketball.”
Coach Chris Beard
Beard noted that in his three years at Ole Miss, he has made a point to reconnect former coaches and players with the modern program. “With Coach Evans the first year, Coach Weltlich last year, and now to bring back Coach Barnes—it’s special,” he said.
Barnes, who led the Rebels to the 2001 Sweet Sixteen and later coached at Oklahoma and Cal State Bakersfield, said the recognition was “truly humbling.”
“I’m just a humble guy from Satartia, Mississippi who was given an opportunity. To have this honor… it means a lot. People who know me know I try to hide from the ‘celebrity’ side of things. I just feel blessed.”
Coach Rod Barnes
‘One of the best that’s ever done this’
Beard did not hold back in his admiration for Barnes’ legacy.
“In my opinion, Coach Barnes is one of the best that’s ever done this. His résumé here speaks for itself: multiple NCAA Tournaments, arguably one of the best teams in school history with the Sweet 16 team. And he maintained it. A lot of coaches can have one good year; the best ones sustain it. That’s what Coach did.”
Coach Beard
Beard added that the current staff and former coaches, alike, acknowledge the foundation Barnes built.
“[Andy Kennedy] feels the same way, Kermit [Davis] feels the same way—all of us who followed Coach Barnes,” Beard said. “We wouldn’t have the jobs we have today without the work he did here.”
Barnes returned that respect in full.
“Coach Beard has been unbelievable from the first day he got the job,” Barnes said.
“We’ve talked throughout the years, and more recently we’ve talked a lot. I root for him all the time. I told Keith [Carter] when he hired him: ‘You got a real coach. A guy who understands it, builds programs, maintains programs, and will do great things.’”
Coach Rod Barnes on Coach Beard
A shared Sweet Sixteen bond
The Rebels’ Sweet Sixteen run last season naturally evoked memories of Barnes’ own 2001 team.
“It did spark memories,” Barnes admitted. “I thought they had a real chance. I thought our team did too—with a couple breaks, we could’ve advanced further. I was in California following every play.”
He said he felt genuine pride in the program’s success, even from across the country.
“The adrenaline was going,” he said. “I kept cheering–‘Come on, guys, get this one!’ It was something to be proud of. That was a special team last year. I watched those guys grow.”
Barnes said he sees something similar developing in this year’s roster. “This team here is good too,” he noted. “But it’s a growing process. When you have a good coach, it’s about where your team starts compared to where they finish. I thought he maxed out that team last year, and they still had a chance to advance.”
A relationship built on players, past and present
One of Barnes’ best-known former players—current Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter—came up repeatedly.
“Keith wasn’t highly recruited,” Barnes said. “But he was a hard worker, detail-oriented, a team guy. I’m so proud of him.”
He added that Carter’s leadership across all Ole Miss sports speaks for itself.
“To see one of my former players as athletic director, not just doing the job but doing a great job, is special. Look at where all the programs were when he got the job compared to where they are now. That says something.”
Coach Rod Barnes on Keith Carter
Memories of the Tad Pad
With Tad Smith Coliseum’s 59-year lifespan nearing its end, Barnes was asked about his favorite moments and memories in the building.
“Oh man, there are so many,” he said. “I took a couple hard licks out there from Carlos Clark and Cecil Dowell. Got whooped a few times,” he laughed.
But his most treasured memory was the celebration upon returning from the Sweet Sixteen berth.
“When we landed, we couldn’t even see the ground because there were so many people. I’ll never forget that.”
Coach Barnes on one of his favorite memories from the Sweet 16
Another came during the NCAA Tournament run that took Ole Miss to San Antonio.
“To come out with my family and see all the red and blue in the stands, that told me this could really be done here,” Barnes said. “As coaches, we have visions long before anyone else sees them.”
‘Super cool’ for Beard
For Beard, experiencing the final game in the building is meaningful in its own right.
“Yeah, for me personally, it’s super cool,” he said. “I coached against AK’s teams here as an assistant, and I’ve really educated myself on the history, the coaches, and all the great players who played here.”
He added that the list of players who took the floor in the Tad Pad extends far beyond Ole Miss legends.
“Pistol Pete had a game in here. Shaquille O’Neal had a game in here. From a basketball perspective, it’s incredibly cool.”
Coach Beard on the Tad Pad
Beard credited Carter and countless support staff for making one more Division I game possible in the aging arena. “A lot of people have been working nonstop for the last 95 or 100 hours to get the building ready,” he said. “I’m grateful for them.”
With a 6:30 p.m. tipoff and a football weekend bringing thousands to Oxford, Beard hopes the finale draws a crowd worthy of the moment.
“I hope the community, the students, all our season ticket holders come out,” he said. “It’s the last one. Let’s send it out right.”
Jacob Quaglino
Jacob is a New Orleans, LA native and Ole Miss alumni, Class of 2024 and staff writer with The Rebel Walk. He has been a diehard fan of all Ole Miss sports his entire life, with his earliest Ole Miss sports memory being the Rebels' iconic 2008 upset of then-No. 4 Florida. Among his other favorite Rebel sports memories are storming the field after beating LSU in 2023 and Georgia in 2024, watching the Rebels upset Alabama in back to back years in 2014-15, seeing the women's golf team win the school's first-ever NCAA-recognized national championship in 2021, and watching the Rebel baseball team win the College World Series in 2022. He remains exceedingly hopeful that the Ole Miss Athletics Department's national championship trophy collection will grow in the coming years. Outside of The Rebel Walk, Jacob also works for a local radio news station and has many interests and hobbies, including reading, writing, watching college sports, playing pickleball, and traveling.
