Embracing great expectations
New coach Beard outlines championship vision, says Longhorns ready to win immediately
AUSTIN — Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte and Chris Beard met Thursday morning at a nondescript Comfort Suites lobby in Plainview.
Together, they rolled to a nearby McDonald’s to negotiate over coffee and McMuffins. During the next few hours, they laid out a joint vision of what the next era of Longhorns hoops might look like if the Forty Acres alumnus left Texas Tech.
“Talking about the University of Texas, talking about what it meant to be a Longhorn, his vision of winning national championships at University of Texas, the great tradition history by the players that are here,” Del Conte recounted Friday morning. “It was the most amazing three hours of conversation.”
By the time their meeting ended, an agreement had been reached. Del Conte returned to Austin not long after, accompanied by the new Texas men’s basketball coach.
“Let me be really clear here,” Beard began Friday during his introductory news conference. “I understand the standards of the University of Texas. I understand where our men’s basketball program is going to be and needs to be and deserves to be. Those expectations and standards don’t scare me. Don’t get it twisted.”
Beard, 48, called the decision to leave Texas Tech, a program he transformed during the past five years, the “most difficult decision in my life.” But when the position opened after Shaka Smart accepted Marquette’s job offer, the tug of Texas grew too powerful for a man who graduated from the university in 1995 and served as a student assistant to former coach Tom Penders in the 1990s.
So, one week after Marquette introduced Smart, Texas got to present its latest glitzy hire. And Beard, who signed a seven-year deal, made it clear that he’s not interested in a methodical rebuild.
In his eyes, the Longhorns are a “Monday night program,” one that should be in the national title conversation every season. But that perception is steeped much more in fantasy than reality — Texas hasn’t reached the Elite Eight since 2008 and has made one Final Four (2003) during the past 70 years.
Beard led Tech to its only two Elite Eight appearances and lone Final Four appearance, which resulted in a national runner-up finish. It’s been almost two decades since Texas experienced a similar sort of sustained success.
“What’s most important right now is the current players, the current roster,” Beard said. “So, why my confidence that we can win immediately? It starts with the talent on the roster, and I’m going to do the best I can to keep those guys here, if they want to be here. And if they understand that we’re trying to win a national championship. Now, not when the new arena is built, not down the line. Let’s strive for it now.
“This will not be, ‘First-year doesn’t matter, put an asterisk on it.’ You can quote me on that.”
Beard is determined to win big in Year 1 despite arriving to a depleted roster.
Texas will at least have a solid foundation if Beard can convince junior guard Courtney Ramey and freshman Greg Brown to remain alongside rugged redshirt sophomore Brock Cunningham and steady junior Kamaka Hepa. And if he’s able to retain the rest of Texas’ 2021 signing class and pluck some talent from the overcrowded transfer market, the Longhorns might be more formidable than expected.
Beard’s optimism aside, Texas faces a steep climb as it prepares to enter its next era with a new head coach and a $338 million arena set to open for the 2022-23 season. The Smart hiring received universal praise but resulted in one postseason NIT title, one Big 12 tournament title and an 0-3 NCAA Tournament record.
But Beard, so far, has not failed at any head-coaching pitstop on his winding road back to Austin. Not at Fort Scott Community College or Seminole State College. Not at Division II Angelo State. Not at NCCAA program McMurry. Not at Arkansas Little Rock in the Sun Belt. And not at Tech.
A two-time Big 12 coach of the year and 2019 Associated Press coach of the year, Beard is 252103 in 11 seasons as a college head coach. And as long as he keeps doing at Texas what he’s done everywhere else, Del Conte won’t have to worry again about negotiating with prospective hoops coaches over McMuffins.
“The University of Texas’ winning tradition and pride will not be entrusted to the timid or weak,” Beard said, repeating the school’s battle cry. “I’m not timid. I’m not weak. I understand exactly what we’re getting into here. I’m proud, I’m excited, I’m happy. I couldn’t sleep last night and that’s because I can’t wait to get started.”