Feb 8, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Rick Pitino Tabs Ole Miss' Chris Beard as 'Perfect' For Indiana Coaching Opening

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI
By Cole Thompson | Last updated Feb 21, 2025 10:01 PM ET

Rick Pitino knows good coaches when he sees one, and he believes Ole Miss has a great man in command with Chris Beard.

With a 19-7 record and a top 25 ranking, Beard likely will earn a new contract this offseason.

But if Pitino was in charge of Indiana University, he'd make sure Beard came to Bloomington as the replacement for Mike Woodson. In a recent interview on Bartsool's Pardon My Take, Pitino said Beard, who considers longtime Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight a hero, should be the lone call made this offseason.

St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino says it’s a no brainer that Indiana should hire Chris Beard.

“I wouldn’t even think about another person.” pic.twitter.com/7QwL5Ce8Y4
— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent) February 21, 2025

"If I was the AD at Indiana...Am I friendly with this person? Yes I am. Do I have a lot of respect for this person? Yes I do. But I would immediately...not even interview anybody else...and hire one of the premier coaches in all of college basketball, and that's Chris Beard from Ole Miss," Pitino said. "I wouldn't even think about another person. He's perfect for that job. He's a tough, hard-nosed."

Pitino said he knew Beard was built to be a standout coach during his visit to Lubbock while he still was coaching at Texas Tech. Watching how the Red Raiders' practice was run, it was clear Beard was built for the elite jobs in the sport.

With Indiana needing a new man in command, Pitino believes Beard is ready for the opportunity to bring the program back to glory.

"I'm a gigantic fan of Chris Beard, and I think he would kill it at Indiana," said Pitino. "He'd have them in the top five to seven every single year. Remember, he brought Texas Tech to the championship game and could have won it if that young man didn't hit that from Virginia...that corner shot. It was a great shot that he did hit. So, he's a superstar, top three coach...in my estimation."

The Rebels return to the court in Nashville on Saturday to take on Vanderbilt. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.