Chris Beard staying with Ole Miss basketball despite Arkansas’ interest

Chris Beard will remain the head coach of Ole Miss men’s basketball despite Arkansas’ interest in him for their vacancy. Former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman left for the head job at the University of Southern California on Thursday.

College basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported Thursday that Beard, “emerged as one of the leading candidates for the Arkansas opening.”

Beard confirmed Friday that he is staying at Ole Miss in a post on X saying, “Great times ahead in Oxford. We are just getting started.”

Beard agreed to a contract extension with Ole Miss less than a month ago to keep him in Oxford through 2028.

Beard went 20-12 and 7-11 in SEC play with the Rebels in his first season. The program saw an eight-win improvement compared to the 2022-23 season under Kermit Davis. It was the first 20-win season for the men’s program since 2019.