Cameron Larkin
It is no secret that the Ole Miss men’s basketball program has struggled for the last couple of years.
Under head coach Kermit Davis, the Rebels had totaled one March Madness berth and a singular NIT bid.
Other than these two postseason runs, in which Ole Miss lost in the first round, the team had losing records in three out of five years under Davis.
This string of bad seasons is precisely why Ole Miss decided to move on from Davis, but the question remains, who will step in and take over the program?
A plethora of coaches should be on Ole Miss’ radar, some more realistic than others. But the fact remains that whoever Vice Chancellor of Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter decides on must bring a winning pedigree that hopefully will rub off on the entire men’s basketball program.
Candidates That Would Make Sense
Paul Mills (Oral Roberts):
Mills is the head coach at Oral Roberts and was at the helm when the No. 15-seeded Golden Eagles upset the No. 2-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes. Mills should be of interest to Ole Miss because of his success at the mid-major level alone, but that is not the only reason. Mills has coached a player named Max Abmas, a 6-foot, 175 pound point guard who has averaged more than 22 points per game in three of his four years at ORU.
With players like Daeshun Ruffin already on the roster and four-star guard Josh Hubbard on his way to Oxford, who are shorter guards, Mills could get the very best out of each of them.
Jay Ladner (Southern Miss):
Ladner has turned many heads this year as the head coach of the Golden Eagles. After a tumultuous start at USM, Ladner has coached the Golden Eagles to the No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt and the No. 7 ranked overall mid-major team. His turnaround at Southern Miss is something that Ole Miss desperately needs. This in-state hire would make sense for both parties, so Ole Miss should definitely keep Ladner in mind during its coaching pursuit.
Would Have To Pry From Their Current Teams
Rodney Terry (Texas):
Terry currently serves as the interim head coach for the Texas Longhorns, and he has done some fantastic things with the program amid a season of ups and downs. However, the former Fresno State and UTEP head coach has yet to receive a contract extension from Texas. This means that until he gets that offer, he will remain an exciting candidate for Ole Miss.
His sheer experience and results as the leader of multiple college basketball teams are something Ole Miss would greatly benefit from.
Pat Kelsey (Charleston):
Kelsey is the former head coach of the Winthrop Eagles. At Winthrop, he accumulated a 186-95 record and three March Madness appearances, including the 2019-2020 season when the tournament was canceled. Now, in his second year as the head coach of Charleston, Kelsey is primed to make it to March Madness for the fourth time in his career.
Each coach on this list has something in common: the ability to build a program. This is something that has been missing in Oxford. It also happens to be something Kelsey is an expert in.
The Home Run Option
Chris Beard (Unemployed):
Now that Beard’s domestic violence charges have been dropped, he is a viable candidate for every college basketball team in America. He should certainly be the top candidate for Ole Miss based solely on his successes at Texas Tech and Texas. Beard has a career record of 237-98, which includes five appearances in March Madness and one trip to the National Championship.
If a winner is what Ole Miss is looking for, look no further than Beard. Beard stands alone in this home run category because he is the best coach available. His resume can stack up against almost any coach in the nation, and Ole Miss would be remiss if it did not at least talk to the former Red Raider and Longhorn coach.
