On the eve of the first round of the NCAA Tournament, analysts and pundits all over the sports media landscape are picking which coaches and teams will be successful.
However, CBS analyst Tim Doyle believes head coach Chris Beard and his Ole Miss team will falter in the tournament.
Chris Beard Responds to Tim Doyle
Doyle recently called Beard and his team “frauds” ahead of the start of the tournament.
Beard, in front of the Ole Miss media earlier this week, had a short answer after he was asked if he had a response for Doyle.
WATCH:
Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard responds when asked about the comment from Tim Doyle of CBS Sports calling his team a “fraud.’”#OleMiss pic.twitter.com/A9AaKOY3DU
— Brad Logan (@BradLoganCOTE) March 17, 2025
It is safe to say that Beard could care less about what pundits think about him and his team.
After winning 22 games overall and posting a winning record in conference play, the Rebels earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They are set to face off against the No. 11 seed North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round.
Beard’s Impressive Coaching History
While Beard had a poor ending at the University of Texas due to some off-the-court issues, he has had a very successful coaching career. He took Texas Tech to the Final Four in 2019 and was a two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year there.
A year after missing the NCAA Tournament in his first season coaching in Oxford, he has brought the Rebels back. This season, the Rebels have earned key wins over ranked teams such as BYU, Louisville, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. That is why the Rebels were able to earn that aforementioned sixth seed despite having 11 losses on the season.
Again, they will face North Carolina in the first round. The Tar Heels are coming off a strong win over San Diego State in the First Four, so they could be playing with house money on Thursday.
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However, Beard’s strong history as a head coach should give the Rebels a great chance of winning this game. As long as they can stay hot from the field and tough defensively, they should be in good shape as the game progresses.
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