Career Timeline of Chris Beard: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Chris Beard made an impact.

Chris Beard is an American basketball coach currently serving as the head men's coach at the University of Mississippi. Before Ole Miss, Beard was the head coach at Texas, Texas Tech, Little Rock, Angelo State, and McMurry. He graduated from McCullough High School in The Woodlands, Texas, and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas, where he was a team manager. He also holds a Masters of Education from Abilene Christian University where he served as a graduate assistant.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1996: Last Conference Title Until 2019

In 1996, before the title win in 2019, Texas Tech last won a conference title when the team played in the Southwest Conference.

1997: Assistant Coach at North Texas

In 1997, Chris Beard became an assistant coach at North Texas.

1999: Continued as Assistant Coach at North Texas

In 1999, Chris Beard continued his role as an assistant coach at North Texas, a position he held from 1997.

2000: Head coach at Seminole State College

In 2000, Chris Beard was hired as the head coach at Seminole State College where he coached for one year, achieving a 25-6 record and finishing ranked 14th in the country.

March 8, 2012: Hired as Head Coach at Lamar State College

On March 8, 2012, Chris Beard was hired as the head coach at Lamar State College–Port Arthur.

March 2013: Hired as Head Coach at Angelo State

In March 2013, Chris Beard was hired as the sixth head coach at Angelo State.

2013: Last Tournament Win

The 2021-2022 season was the first NCAA tournament win since 2013–14.

April 8, 2015: Named Head Coach of Arkansas-Little Rock

On April 8, 2015, Chris Beard was named the head coach of Arkansas–Little Rock.

March 27, 2016: Accepted Head Coaching Job at UNLV

On March 27, 2016, Chris Beard accepted the head coaching job at UNLV.

April 15, 2016: Took Texas Tech Job

On April 15, 2016, Chris Beard took the Texas Tech head coaching job after it was made vacant by Tubby Smith's departure to Memphis.

January 3, 2017: Upset #7 West Virginia

On January 3, 2017, Chris Beard led Texas Tech to upset #7 West Virginia, marking the Red Raiders' first regular-season win over the Mountaineers in program history.

March 23, 2018: Coached Texas Tech to its first Elite Eight berth

On March 23, 2018, Chris Beard coached Texas Tech to its first-ever Elite Eight berth in program history with a 78–65 win over the Purdue Boilermakers.

March 9, 2019: Won a Share of the Big 12 Regular Season Title

On March 9, 2019, under Chris Beard's leadership, Texas Tech won a share of the Big 12 regular season title, marking the team's first title in the Big 12 conference and its first conference title since 1996.

March 30, 2019: Led Texas Tech to the Final Four

On March 30, 2019, Chris Beard led Texas Tech to its first Final Four appearance in school history with a 75–69 victory over Gonzaga to win the West Regional.

April 6, 2019: Earned School's first National Championship berth

On April 6, 2019, Chris Beard led the Red Raiders to a 61–51 victory over Michigan State to earn the school's first National Championship berth.

April 29, 2019: Signed a six-year extension

On April 29, 2019, Chris Beard signed a six-year extension worth more than $4.5 million a season, becoming the third-highest-paid college basketball coach in the country.

2019: AP National Coach of the Year

In 2019, Chris Beard was recognized as the AP National Coach of the Year, as well as leading the Texas Tech Red Raiders to a school-record 31 wins and to the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game.