Chris Beard could be Mississippi bound.
The former Texas men's basketball coach is the leading candidate for head coaching job at the University of Mississippi, according to ESPN.
Ole Miss have been in recent contact with Beard, per ESPN, as the university does its due diligence following domestic violence charges that led to the Longhorns firing him in January. Those charges were dropped in February.
Beard was arrested on Dec. 12 after his fiancée Randi Trew called 911 and told officers Beard strangled, bit and hit her during a confrontation in his home. She later said Beard acted in self-defense and that she never wanted him prosecuted.
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Texas suspended Beard without pay on Dec. 12 and fired him on Jan. 5 with five years remaining on a seven-year guaranteed contract.
Beard was an assistant coach at Texas Tech for ten seasons under Bob Knight from 2001 to 2011. He returned as head coach in 2016 and led the team to the national title game in 2019. He guided Texas, his alma mater, to the NCAA Tournament during his first season as head coach of the team in 2021-2022. The Longhorns got off to a 6-0 start this season prior to Beard's suspension.
Ole Miss is seeking a replacement for former head coach Kermit Davis, who was fired on Feb. 24 after going 74-79 over five seasons.
