2. Chris Beard
Beard has turned Texas Tech into a powerhouse, with a 111-54 record over five seasons heading into the NCAA Tournament. The highlight of his tenure to this point, led by a strong defense and just enough offense, is a trip to the national title game in 2019. He has also shown strong recruiting ability, signing five players ranked in the top-50 of 247 Sports composite rankings over the last three years.
Before taking other jobs and circling back to be the head coach at Texas Tech, Beard was an assistant in Lubbock under Bobby Knight, then Pat Knight, from 2001-2011.
Beard only has a $3 million buyout at Texas Tech, provided he doesn’t leave for another school in Texas or another Big 12 school. Indiana of course fits that lower buyout bill, which might matter as they dole out $10 million to let Miller go.
The industry perception surrounding Indiana was the school wouldn’t pay Archie Miller $10 million unless it had a clear upgrade lined up as his replacement. They moved quickly to part ways, really curious who’s next in Bloomington.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 15, 2021
The bigger question is whether Beard would consider leaving Texas Tech for Indiana. His current job is a better job right now and he’s well-compensated. Deep Texas roots, as a University of Texas alum to go with his coaching roots at Tech, also makes a move to Indiana unlikely on a surface level. But the search to replace Miller has to include Beard until he says no, and there’s a chance he says yes.