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Chris Beard Reaffirms His Commitment to Ole Miss Basketball

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Mar 28, 2025 5:37 PM ET

Ole Miss' success has been one of the surprise stories of men's college basketball this season. In just their second year under head coach Chris Beard, the Rebels finished with a winning record in the SEC and have advanced to the Sweet 16 in March Madness. Rumors have been swirling that coach Beard may be interested in taking a more coveted job, but he reassured Ole Miss fans when speaking with Zach Gelb of the Infinity Sports Network that he was not going anywhere.

"We're at Ole Miss for a reason. We believe in this place, and we love this place," said Beard. "We're just getting started. This is the early days in Oxford."

Beard's statement is music to the ears of Rebels fans, as the men's basketball team is the best it has been in over 20 years. When the Indiana job opened up and St. John's coach Rick Pitino recommended Beard, Ole Miss fans held their breath, but it sounds like they have nothing to worry about.

The Rebels will take on the No. 2 seed Michigan State Spartans in the Regional Semifinal on Friday evening with a chance to advance to the first Elite 8 in program history on the line. The Spartans are led by legendary coach Tom Izzo, whom Beard defeated in the Final Four of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Regardless of the result, it sounds like Beard will be in Oxford for quite some time.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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