Five things to know about new Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard

OXFORD — Ole Miss has named Chris Beard as its next basketball coach.

Beard, 50, started this season as the coach of Texas but was later fired.

Here's five things to know about Beard.

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Beard was fired from Texas on domestic violence charges that were later dropped

In December, police responded to an incident between Beard and his fiancee, Randi Trew. According to an affidavit, Trew reported that Beard had choked her, bit her and caused various other bruises and abrasions. Beard was booked in the Travis County Jail before posting bond and receiving his release.

Texas suspended Beard and ultimately fired him for cause on Jan. 5. Trew released a statement saying she told police Beard didn't choke her, and that she did not refute Beard's claim that he was acting in self-defense. The felony domestic violence charges against Beard were dropped on Feb. 15.

Beard and Trew had been together for six years at the time of the incident.

Beard worked under Bob Knight

After spending two seasons as the coach at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas and Seminole State College in Oklahoma, Beard was on staff with Bob Knight – winner of three national titles at Indiana – at Texas Tech.

With Knight at the helm, the Red Raiders went to the NCAA Tournament four times in seven seasons. When Knight's son, Pat, replaced him, Beard was elevated to associate head coach, continuing in Lubbock for another three years before he got his first head coaching opportunity.

Beard made Little Rock a bracket buster

Beard needed only one season at Little Rock to bring the Trojans to the NCAA Tournament, winning 30 games and claiming the Sun Belt Conference regular season and tournament titles on the way.

In that 2015-16 season, Little Rock memorably upset fifth-seeded Purdue in double overtime to claim its first NCAA Tournament win since 1986.

Beard has a strong history of NCAA Tournament success

Beard has completed six seasons as a Division I head coach. Five of them have resulted in NCAA Tournament appearances.

Beard has never lost in the first round of March Madness. He has an 11-5 all-time record in the tournament, including a trip to the final in 2019 with Texas Tech, where his Red Raiders lost to Virginia in overtime. He has more than double Ole Miss' program total for NCAA Tournament wins (five).

Beard has strong transfer portal results

Ole Miss will likely need its roster rebuilt. Beard has shown a strong ability to do that through the transfer portal. In two offseasons at Texas, Beard brought in 10 transfer additions.

Of those 10, five earned some type of all-conference honors, three were starters at Texas Tech, Kentucky and Creighton, and another was the SEC's leading rebounder.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Five things to know about new Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard