Career Timeline of Chris Beard: Major Achievements and Milestones

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

Christopher Michael "Chris" Beard is an American basketball coach currently serving as the head men's coach at the University of Mississippi. Prior to Mississippi, he held head coaching positions at Texas, Texas Tech, Little Rock, Angelo State, and McMurry. Beard's coaching career began after graduating from the University of Texas in 1995 with a degree in kinesiology, where he worked as a manager under coach Tom Penders. He furthered his education with a Masters of Education from Abilene Christian University, where he also served as a graduate assistant in 1998.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1997: Assistant Coach at North Texas

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

1999: End of time as assistant coach at North Texas

In 1999, Chris Beard ended his time as an assistant coach at North Texas.

2000: Head Coach at Seminole State College

In 2000, Chris Beard was hired as the head coach at Seminole State College, where he achieved a 25-6 record and finished ranked 14th nationally.

March 8, 2012: Hired as head coach at Lamar State College

On March 8, 2012, Chris Beard was hired as 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.

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 the 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: Texas Tech upset #7 West Virginia

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

March 23, 2018: Texas Tech Makes Elite Eight

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: Texas Tech wins Big 12 Title

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

March 30, 2019: Texas Tech Makes First Final Four Appearance

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

April 6, 2019: Texas Tech Earns 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: Beard Signs Extension with Texas Tech

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: Texas Tech Makes NCAA Championship

In 2019, under Chris Beard, the Texas Tech Red Raiders achieved a school-record 31 wins and reached the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game, where they competed against the Virginia Cavaliers. Beard was also named the 2019 AP National Coach of the Year.