Chris Beard Bringing New Personality to Longhorns Basketball
If there's one thing Texas fans have learned since the hiring of new Longhorns' head basketball coach Chris Beard back in April, it's that he rarely bottles up his confidence or opinions.
It's an important trait, one that has allowed him to develop a successful recruiting tree where players feel a genuine trust and connection. And if his success in the transfer portal this offseason has anything to show for it, his methods are nothing if not successful.
Beard brought this personality and more to Big 12 Media Day in Kansas City on Wednesday, as he was joined by two new talented Texas transfers in Marcus Carr and Timmy Allen.
Overcoming adversity seems to be a coaching cliche, but it's something the new head coach has drilled into the minds of his players so far this offseason. Playing in one of the best basketball conferences in the nation, the No. 5 Longhorns will have their fair share of adversity throughout the season.
So, to prepare, Beard has sprinkled in adversity in small amounts for his players, himself included. According to Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today, Beard has given up drinking beer for all of the upcoming season. In order to maintain team accountability, he's asked that each member of the program give up one thing as part of "team sacrifice."
“If you ever want to win the fight, you gotta be in the fight," Beard said on Wednesday. "The first year it’s always a challenge to be in the fight, but I’m confident that we will be.”
Giving up beer or fast food for an entire basketball season certainly won't directly result in any wins for Texas, but Beard's unconventional approach to the team's mental preparation for the long season ahead could pay huge dividends once the Big-12 tournament begins.
Beard also briefly shared his opinions on the future conference-realignment, as Texas and Oklahoma will head to the SEC no later than July 2025.
Does he know something we don't?
Any upcoming changes to the planned realignment remains to be seen, but Beard reiterated that his team is only focused on the season ahead. Despite receiving the program's highest preseason AP top-25 ranking since 2009-2010, the reality of productive on-court performance is the only thing the former Texas Tech head coach is worried about.
“I think what we do with our team is consistent with one of the key pillars of our culture," Beard said. "It’s just what we call ‘truth-telling.' We’re not gonna talk about anything other that reality.”
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