Few coaches have risen as quickly as Chris Beard had in recent years.
After leading Little Rock, a 12-seed, to a first-round upset over Purdue, a 5-seed, in the 2016 NCAA tournament, he became one of the most coveted coaches in the country. He left a few months later for Texas Tech, where he spent five seasons and led the team to the national title game in 2019. His ascent continued in 2021, when Texas -- his alma mater and "dream school" -- hired him to be its head coach.