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The Ole Miss basketball team fell to rival Tennessee in SEC action on Tuesday night in Knoxville. Head coach Chris Beard did not witness the final six minutes of play in person.
He was asked to leave the arena after berating officials over what he believed was a missed call. Despite being escorted off the floor by police officers, he returned to the sidelines to continue his crash out.
The Rebels entered the game at 11-10 and in need of a win. They kept things close in the first half, trailing by one point when heading into the break.
Unfortunately, the game got away from them after halftime.
Tennessee erupted for 58 second half points. The Vols turned the one-point lead into an 18-point victory. Ole Miss’s head coach was unhappy with the performance and the officiating.
With around 6:15 left to play, his frustration boiled over.
Chris Beard was ejected.
Chris Beard has exited the game!
The #OleMiss coach went crazy after not getting a call. Ran back to his team before he was escorted out. pic.twitter.com/el2FPI6avF
— Paige Dauer (@PaigeDauerFDP) February 4, 2026
Beard exploded on officials after a foul call. He was forcibly restrained by as assistant on the bench.
At the time, the Rebels were down by 16 points. It might’ve been his last-ditch effort to provide some energy to his players.
After receiving a technical foul, he was escorted towards the locker room. Before play resumed, however, he ditched his police escorts to give one final word to his team.
— No Context College Basketball (@ContextFreeCBB) February 4, 2026
Whether or not the officers were completely necessary is up for debate. They didn’t pose much of a threat in stopping Beard from returning to the court.
Still, the image of security’s failed attempts to grab the coach as he hot-headedly beelined for the bench is a comical one.
The antics didn’t work.
Ole Miss lost the basketball game, 84-66. The Vols went on a 12-1 run in the moments that immediately followed the ejection.
The Rebels are now .500 on the season while dropping to 3-6 in SEC play. That mark puts them in a tie for 12th in the league standings.
Tennessee, meanwhile, improved to 6-3 in conference action to continue their pursuit of an NCAA Tournament bid and SEC regular season crown.
Chris Beard will be back on the bench when the Rebels return to play against Texas this weekend.