OXFORD — Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard was named the 2025 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year on Monday.
It comes after the Rebels finished 24-12 and made it to the NCAA tournament as the No. 6 seed. They beat No. 11 North Carolina and No. 3 Iowa State to make it to the Sweet 16, tying the deepest run in Ole Miss history. No. 2 Michigan State beat the Rebels 73-70 on Friday in Atlanta to end the run.
Beard just finished his second year as head coach at Ole Miss. He led the Rebels to a 20-12 record last season and has added to his reputation as a proficient program builder.
Ole Miss had a lineup stacked with seniors and Beard will need to find a way to replace point guard Sean Pedulla, Matthew Murrell, Jaemyn Brakefield and Dre Davis, among others.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss basketball's Chris Beard Jim Phelan national coach of year
