NASHVILLE — Chris Beard put his team through two practices — one at Tennessee State and then another at Bridgestone Arena — Wednesday.

The Ole Miss coach isn’t moving on from this season until it’s over. There will be a time for reflection, Beard said, but for now, all of his focus is on Thursday’s Southeastern Conference Tournament game versus Texas A&M.

When that reflection time does roll around, however, Beard will do it as the Rebels’ coach. Ole Miss announced on Wednesday that the school and Beard had agreed to a new contract. Terms were not disclosed, though CBS insider Jon Rothstein reported Wednesday it’s a six-year deal going through the 2029-30 season.

“I love being at Ole Miss,” Beard said. “We have a job to do and we’re just getting started.”

Beard’s name had come up in rumor-mill speculation, specifically at and around Louisville, but Ole Miss’ announcement Wednesday stopped all of that before it could get started.

“It was something that (Ole Miss athletics director) Keith (Carter) and the chancellor (Glenn Boyce) had been discussing,” Beard said. “We’re just excited to be here. Myself, our coaching staff, our coaching staff’s families, wives and we believe in what we can accomplish in Oxford. There are a lot of objectives this first season. Ultimately the scoreboard is really, really important. We all understand that.

“We have some unfinished business starting (Thursday) night, but when you think about attendance, growth and attention in the program, all the work that The Grove Collective has done and all the donors, there are just a lot of good things going on at Ole Miss right now and we’re just excited to be a part of it. We’re just getting started.”

“The future of Ole Miss Basketball could not be brighter under Coach Beard’s leadership,” Carter said in a statement early Wednesday. “His impact on every facet of our program was immediately apparent, and it has translated to a new standard of success and a culture that is building every day. He has galvanized Rebel Nation, and particularly our student body, and created a newfound passion for men’s basketball that is felt throughout the entire Ole Miss community. We could not be more excited to strengthen our investment in the program and can’t wait to see what the many years ahead hold with Coach Beard leading our team.”

“I appreciate Chancellor Boyce, Keith and the Ole Miss administration for their belief and support as we continue on our path of building a championship program in Oxford,” Beard said in the same statement. “I also want to express my gratitude to the Ole Miss fan base, supporters, alumni and our students for their dedication to our players and program. We are just getting started. Great times ahead in the SJB Pavillion and Oxford.”

Hired in March 2023, Beard took over the helm of the Ole Miss program and caught national attention early during his first year with a 13-0 start to the season. Their opening record tied the program record for the longest winning streak of all time, as the Rebels were one of just three teams to make it to 13-0 in all of college basketball.

The team currently owns 20 wins on the season entering Thursday’s game, the 13th time the program has hit that mark since 2000 and the 11th time in the last 18 years.

Beard owns a career win-percentage of 70.2 percent, the 15th-best among active coaches with 10 or more years of experience. The 2019 AP National Coach of the Year has led three different programs to the NCAA Tournament over the previous eight years, and is undefeated in the opening round at 5-0. His all-time record in the NCAA Tournament is 11-5 (.688), highlighted by a run to the 2019 National Championship game with Texas Tech.

He is a four time conference coach of the year recipient, and has compiled numerous top-10 nationally-ranked recruiting classes during his time at the Division-I level.