Chris Beard Making Return to Austin Next Season vs. Texas Longhorns

Since he was fired as the head coach of the Texas Longhorns, Chris Beard has not returned to Austin for a basketball game.

That will change on Feb.

7, 2026, as Beard's Ole Miss Rebels will take on the Longhorns in the Moody Center during Southeastern Conference play .

Texas will welcome Ole Miss as part of a home SEC slate that also includes the defending champion Florida Gators and rivals Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

Chris Beard's return Beard attended the University of Texas as an undergraduate, serving as a student assistant prior to graduating in 1995.

He returned to the Forty Acres to become the program's head coach in 2021, though his time in charge did not last as long as planned.

Beard was fired by Texas on Jan.

5, 2023 following his arrest on felony assault charges.

Rodney Terry took over head coaching duties, leading the Longhorns to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

In his time in Austin, Beard went 29-13.

His sole full season as coach, 2021-22, saw Texas win its most games and earn its first NCAA tournament win since the 2013-14 season.

He started the 2022-23 season at 7-1 before being suspended and fired.

Only a few months later, after his case was dismissed, Beard was hired by Ole Miss to become their head coach.

In two years in Oxford, Beard has accumulated a record of 44-24.

Last season, he led the Rebels to a Sweet 16 appearance and was honored with the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award.

The Longhorns faced Beard's Rebels a season ago, losing at Ole Miss by a score of 72-69.

But the matchup will look very different when they go toe-to-toe in the Moody Center in early 2026.

Texas will be led by new coach Sean Miller, rather than Beard's former assistant Terry, and the on-court personnel for both sides will be starkly rebuilt.

Beard brought in 11 total newcomers through the transfer portal and high school recruiting, while Miller has obtained eight newcomers for his debut season at Texas.

Team headliners Sean Pedulla for the Rebels and Tre Johnson for the Longhorns include those that have left college.

Despite the roster turnover, both programs are expected to hold high aspirations and be competitive in the SEC with proven winners leading from the sideline.

Miller versus Beard is a top-tier coaching battle, even for the SEC, and Texas versus Ole Miss is shaping up to be a marquee game on the schedule.

Last year, it was Tennessee's Rick Barnes who made a return to Austin to face the Longhorns in Texas's first year in the SEC.

Soon, it's Beard's turn..

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