Chris Beard emerges as top candidate to coach at Ole Miss

After facing domestic violence charges that were eventually dropped earlier this year, Chris Beard is connected to a new coaching opportunity. Jeff Goodman of Stadium recently reported that the former Texas coach is in the running to lead Ole Miss.

In late December, Chris Beard was charged with assualt of a family member. However, the charges were dropped a few months later.

Following his arrest, Beard was quickly removed from his position as coach of Texas' men's basketball team. He coached just eight games this season, posting a record of 7-1. In total, Beard had a record of 29-13 in his short stint with the school.

Is Chris Beard allowed to coach now?

Because all the charges against him have been dropped, there is nothing stopping Chris Beard from making a comeback to coaching in the NCAA. He'll likely face an array of questions regarding his arrest, but he is not under any restrictions that would stop him from accepting a job.

Ole Miss (11-20) fired Kermit Davis, who was the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in his first season, struggled with four straight losing seasons. Barring a miracle run in the SEC Tournament, a berth in the NCAA Tournament is unlikely, and the Rebels will miss out on the fun of March Madness.

During his eight years as a college head coach, Beard has made the NCAA Tournament on five separate occasions. His most recent appearance came in 2022 after he lead Texas to a 22-12 record in his first year with the program.

Before he took the job with Texas, Beard coached Texas Tech for five seasons, making the tournament three times. Their deepest run was in 2019, when they made it all the way to the Final Four.

Overall, Beard has had great success as a head coach at the college level. He has a career record of 171-73, giving him a winning percentage of over 70. Seeing how well he's done with various programs, it's not shocking to see his name pop up in connection to open jobs.