Some of the biggest news surrounding the Ole Miss Rebels on Friday did not center on an actual game, but instead, it was on keeping Chris Beard as the men’s basketball coach in Oxford.
Beard’s name was tied to the Arkansas Razorbacks’ job opening this week, but he put those rumors to rest on Friday with a post on X saying the Rebels were “just getting started.” This is the second time in just two years that athletic director Keith Carter has fended off a rival SEC program from taking one of his coaches: first Lane Kiffin and the Auburn Tigers and now Beard with the Hogs.
READ MORE: ‘Just Getting Started!’ Chris Beard Remaining at Ole Miss Amidst Arkansas Rumors
How did Carter celebrate? Well, he was on a turkey hunt with Realtree representative Tyler Jordan, and he took an opportunity to compare the “beard” of a turkey to his own Beard that he was able to keep in Oxford. You can view his post here.
“Pretty good Friday morning,” Carter said in his post. “Brought this beard back from Georgia @TylerJordan @Realtree and kept another Beard rolling with @OleMissMBB @ChrisBeard. Ole Miss Athletics isn’t messing around folks. We’re here to win and win big!”
Beard and the Rebels failed to reach the NCAA Tournament in his first year in Oxford, finishing the campaign with a mark of 20-12 overall and 7-11 within the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss was also eliminated in its first game of the SEC Tournament, falling to the Texas A&M Aggies 80-71 in Nashville.
The Rebels now shift their focus to Year 2 of the Beard era, and he will look to return to the NCAA Tournament, a level he has frequented during his career. Beard has a record of 10-4 in NCAA Tournament games, and he also led Texas Tech to the Final Four in 2019.