Ole Miss hires former Texas coach Chris Beard

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi has hiredChris Beard as its basketball coach five weeks after his firingfrom Texas following a domestic violence arrest.

The Rebels announced Beard’s hiring on Monday and will introducehim Tuesday in a public event at the SBJ Pavilion. Beard is afour-time conference coach of the year and was AP’s national coachof the year in 2019.

But his two-year tenure at alma mater Texas ended abruptly inJanuary, though felony domestic charges were ultimately dismissedon Feb. 15. A prosecutor said his office determined that the chargeof assault by strangulation/suffocation-family violence could notbe proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Texas suspended Beard after his Dec. 12 arrest and fired himthree weeks later when Texas officials told Beard’s attorney he was“unfit” to lead the program. Beard was arrested when his fiancée,Randi Trew, called 911 and told officers that Beard strangled, bitand hit her during a confrontation in his home.

She later said that Beard didn’t choke her, and was defendinghimself, and that she never intended for Beard to be arrested andprosecuted.

Beard replaces Kermit Davis, who was ousted on Feb. 24 aftergoing 74-79 in nearly five full seasons.

“We thoroughly evaluated a number of outstanding candidates, andthere is no doubt Coach Beard is one of the top coaches in thenation,” said Keith Carter, the school’s vice chancellor forathletics. “After conducting due diligence and speaking to a numberof individuals on and off the court, it was evident he is the rightperson to guide our team to greatness.”

Beard has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournamentsince 2016, including an appearance in the 2019 championship gameand an Elite Eight run the year before at Texas Tech. He is 237-98as a head coach and 11-5 in the NCAA Tournament.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited toget started at this great university,” said Beard, who was 29-13 atTexas. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor (Glenn)Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for theirbelief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward tobeing an active part of the Oxford community.”

Beard spent five seasons at Texas Tech, going 112-55 at aprogram that had endured five losing seasons in the previous sixyears. The Red Raiders went to their first Elite Eight in hissecond season and made it to the national championship game in2019.

Beard led Little Rock to a 30-5 record and a Sun Belt Conferencetitle in his lone season, making the second round of the NCAATournament.