A common site in baseball games at any level is a coach intentionally getting tossed from a game as an inspirational, motivational technique.
It’s a lot less common in basketball games, but Ole Miss coach Chris Beard gave his best effort to execute that strategy.
With his team trailing 67-51 against No. 15 Tennessee with just over six minutes left in the game, Beard was sitting in a chair on the sideline as AJ Storr made a penetrating drive into a wall of white and orange. Two passes later, the ball was in the paint and a Volunteer reached into snatch the ball away from Augusto Cassia.
The defender missed and no foul was called. Beard disagreed with that immediately, jumping up from his seat to argue with an official and walking onto the court in the middle of a play.
Beard was tossed from the game after yelling at not just one, but two officials. As he left the court, Beard ran back to his players huddled with assistant coaches and delivered a passionate plea that (probably) couldn’t air on national television.
Unfortunately, it didn’t have the impact an ejected baseball coach has when his team scores enough runs to retake the lead and the Volunteers won 84-66.
Ole Miss leaves Knoxville with its fourth-straight loss and in need of a miraculous run either in the final month of the regular season or in the SEC Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
At this rate, the Rebels may need a miraculous run just to earn a spot in the NIT Tournament.
ICYMI: Ole Miss Thriving Inside as Christeen Iwuala Elevates Her Game
That run almost began Tuesday night against the Volunteers.
The opening minutes suggested Ole Miss might be able to dictate pace. The Rebels matched Tennessee’s physicality early and avoided the type of defensive breakdowns that often fuel quick Volunteer runs.
That balance faded late in the first half, however, when Tennessee began to create separation through defensive pressure and second-chance opportunities. Ole Miss struggled to get clean looks during that stretch, allowing the Volunteers to push the margin to double digits by halftime.
The second half required Ole Miss to play near-perfect basketball to get back into the game, and that consistency never materialized. Tennessee controlled tempo, preventing the Rebels from building momentum with sustained runs.
STORR😤#HottyToddy x #Culture pic.twitter.com/KgZ6QYlOWw
— Ole Miss Men’s Basketball (@OleMissMBB) February 4, 2026
Each time Ole Miss showed signs of cutting into the deficit, empty possessions and defensive lapses halted any progress.
In the end, Beard’s outburst became less of a spark and more of a snapshot of a frustrated coach searching for any pulse in a season slipping out of his grasp.
And it may not have worked.
Ole Miss Top Performers
- Points: Patton Pinkins/AJ Storr, 15
- Rebounds: Augusto Cassia/AJ Storr, 4
- Assists: Seven players with 1
- Steals: Malik Dia, 2
- Blocks: Augusto Cassia, 2
Next Up
The opportunities to turn this season are growing smaller and smaller for Ole Miss. The Rebels have just nine SEC games left before the SEC Tournament tips off March 11.
Ole Miss will stay on the road for its weekend matchup against Texas. The Longhorns also played Tuesday night, defeating South Carolina 84-75 to improve to 14-9 overall and 5-5 in SEC play. They’ll host Ole Miss on Saturday with a 1 p.m. tipoff.
