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Texas Tech basketball: What Chris Beard’s new deal means for the program

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media during a press conference prior to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media during a press conference prior to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Tech hoops will remain relevant on a national scale

Every so often, an out of nowhere team will make an improbable run only to fade back into anonymity.  Such was the case with Loyola-Chicago (which missed the NCAA Tournament this year after a magical run to the 2018 Final Four) or Butler (which appeared in the national title game in back-to-back seasons in 2010 and 2011).

But the reason that many college programs that burst onto the national scene unexpectedly are unable to remain relevant is that they often lose their head coach.  Now, that does not appear likely to be Tech’s fate thanks to Beard’s new deal.

And given Beard’s track record, there is reason to believe that the Red Raiders will remain a Big 12 and Final Four contender.  After all, he is 172-61 as a college head coach.  What’s more, he’s never had a losing season and in four of his seven seasons, he’s lost fewer than 10 games.  Along the way, he’s earned three conference coach of the year awards.

Meanwhile, Tech has never reached the NCAA Tournament three-consecutive seasons.  And this year marked only the fourth time the Red Raiders have made the tournament in back-to-back years.

But those days should be distant memories now.  Though Tech is going to have to replace four seniors and leading scorer Jarrett Culver, they will again be expected to be back in the Big Dance while also having a shot to defend their Big 12 regular season co-championship.

After all, Beard has proven to be adept at rebuilding his roster on the fly.  This year, he had to replace six of his top eight scorers from the 2018 Elite 8 team.  And in 2015-16, he led Arkansas-Little Rock to a 30-5 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a roster comprised almost entirely of newcomers.

According to Stadium’s Andy Wittry, Beard’s first four seasons as a Division I head coach rival the start of any coaching career in the modern era of the sport.  At 106-36, Beard’s 74.6 winning percentage is second only to Brad Stevens’ (formerly of Butler and now with the Boston Celtics of the NBA) 82.3% in his first four years.

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That puts Beard’s start ahead of coaches such as Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo and Mark Few, all of whom are in the top 20 when it comes to winning percentage in their first four Division I seasons and all of whom are Hall of Fame locks.  This is good news for Texas Tech fans, who now know that their beloved head coach will be in Lubbock for quite some time and that Red Raider basketball is here to stay as a nationally relevant program.

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