Ivey League: Keith Carter details how he held off Arkansas again for another Ole Miss head coach
Chris Beard was awfully close to leaving Ole Miss for Arkansas.
Rebel athletics director Keith Carter confirmed as much during his turn in the ‘Ivey League,’ a podcast powered by RiverLand Roofing and in exclusive partnership with the Ole Miss Spirit. Sign up today for just $1.
New ‘Ivey League’ episodes release every Thursday. Next up is Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin.
Beard was approached by Arkansas to replace Eric Musselman. Musselman a few weeks ago left the Razorbacks for USC. UALR is one of three separate programs Beard has led to the NCAA Tournament since 2016. He’s looking to make Ole Miss his fourth in 2024-25.
The Rebels won 20 games last season to get closer than they’ve been in years. They’ve danced just nine times in their 100-plus-year history.
“I think it was pretty serious,” Carter said. “Coach Beard, first of all, he’s been awesome through this whole process — his agent and Beard himself. We had a lot of communication, which was great. Very transparent communication.
“I think coach Beard having coached in Arkansas for a year at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, he’d developed relationships in the state and those type of things. But ultimately, just like coach Kiffin did, coach Beard chose Ole Miss. I think that says a lot about our athletics program and our department and where we are with what we’re providing our coaches and student-athletes.
“We’re working to continue this, but I think we’ve made Ole Miss a destination place.”
Carter continued, “This is a place where coaches feel like they can come and not just try to build their resume, but build a program and win SEC and national championships.”
Carter is an all-time Ole Miss basketball great. He’s is in his fifth year as athletics director.
“For me being from Arkansas, it is nice to hold onto a coach and not have them go there,” Carter said. “It is fun to beat Arkansas at things.”
Beard and Ole Miss came to terms on a new contract in March.
However, Carter said the sides went back to the negotiating table following the Arkansas pursuit. A new deal will be released soon.
“Back in March, we were proactive with coach Beard and his representation and got a new contract signed. We were in great shape,” Carter said. “But as we all know, in college athletics, it’s fluid. Things can change. When Arkansas opens up with Muss going to USC, it starts kind of a domino, and obviously coach Beard gets in the mix.
“We went back to the table and we do have new terms for coach Beard that we’re working on now. They’ve been agreed to in principle; we just haven’t papered it yet.”
Regardless, Beard is red-hot on the recruiting trail. He’s already put together one of the nation’s very best transfer classes, having committed a trio of forwards in Dre Davis (Seton Hall), Malik Dia (Belmont) and Mikeal Brown-Jones (UNC-Greensboro).
And he’s far from done. Virginia Tech guard Sean Pedulla is visiting this weekend.
“Obviously feel really good about where we are, though,” Carter said. “He’s hard at work in the portal and trying to build the roster for next year. We’ll hopefully get that stuff signed, sealed and delivered pretty soon.”
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