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Arkansas insider Jacob Davis hit his followers with an interesting tidbit on Wednesday surrounding a potential Razorback replacement. That news revolves around rival Ole Miss and its current basketball coach Chris Beard.
The report sparked an ominous feeling for fans in Oxford while providing a sense of optimism in Fayetteville with the future appearing cloudy.
The Razorbacks don’t currently need a new basketball coach. Eric Musselman has been roaming the sidelines at Arkansas since 2019, leading the program to a pair of Elite Eight appearances in three NCAA Tournament trips.
So why would news pertaining to Chris Beard be of interest? Well, many believe the “Muss Bus” will soon be leaving the station.
The head coach is reportedly interviewing with USC, becoming the Trojans’ top target following the departure of Andy Enfield to SMU.
A number of folks close to the situation believe it to be nothing more than a formality, saying the job is Musselman’s if he wants it.
Should he bail for Los Angeles, Beard would be a top target, and that extension could play a major part in future negotiations.
According to a source, Ole Miss’ Chris Beard has yet to ‘officially’ sign the extension with the Rebels which was announced during the SEC Tournament.
— Jacob Davis (@JacobScottDavis) April 3, 2024
Chris Beard was offered a new deal during the SEC Tournament after leading Ole Miss to a 20-win season in Year 1. Producing an instant turnaround, he was rewarded after taking over a program that was 12-21 the season prior.
While the offer is on the table, Davis suggests that the head coach has yet to “officially” accept.
We’ve seen contract extensions backfire in terms of buyouts this season. In those cases, schools like Ohio State and Vanderbilt were forced to fork out big bucks in order to get rid of coaches, paying a premium that wouldn’t have been owed had they not extended said coach a few seasons prior.
In this case, we’d see the opposite.
If Beard did, in fact, sign that extension, it would be his new team (Arkansas) who would be shelling out the cash to cover the buyout. But if he didn’t, the Hogs would get Beard at a somewhat discounted rate!
And having the luxury of paying a few hundred thousand dollars less to land your guy could be the difference in reaching out or looking elsewhere.
Of course, this is all for naught if (1) Eric Musselman doesn’t take the USC job and/or (2) Chris Beard stays put in Oxford.
And, hey, if the reports are true, Beard might just turn this into a bargaining tactic to get even more money out of Ole Miss. The coaching carousel continue to turn!