HOT BOARD: Who Will Be Ole Miss' Next Basketball Coach?

Who are the names to watch as Ole Miss conducts its national search for men's basketball?

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels announced on Friday that the men's basketball program and head coach Kermit Davis have officially parted ways, and now, the search for his replacement begins.

Athletic director Keith Carter announced the beginnings of a national search on Friday following the announcement.

"As we have seen in the past, Ole Miss Basketball is capable of competing for and winning championships, and we are determined to find the right leader to help us reach our greatest potential," Carter said. "Over the last 15 years, we have invested in the sport as much as any school in the country. 

"That commitment, the passion of Rebel Nation and the opportunity to be a part of this great university makes our head coaching position a job that will attract top candidates. We look forward to welcoming that new coach that will help our student-athletes grow as both players and men and build a winning team that will make the Ole Miss family proud."

Now that the search is underway, who are names to keep an eye on for the Rebels moving forward? Here are some of the faces who could be under consideration by Carter and staff.

Top Candidates

These are the candidates who will likely be at the top of Keith Carter's list.

Chris Beard (formerly Texas)

Beard has been the name on everyone's mind in recent weeks after his departure from the Texas Longhorns following domestic violence allegations. Now, those charges have been dropped, and Beard is back on the market.

Grant McCasland (North Texas)

McCasland has been the head coach for the North Texas Mean Green since 2017, and he has posted a 114-60 career record in coaching. He also has a record of 1-1 in NCAA Tournament appearances.

Dusty May (Florida Atlantic)

May is relatively-young in the coaching business, but he has a 90-54 overall record as a head coach and is currently employed at Florida Atlantic. Prior to joining the Owls, he was an assistant coach with the Florida Gators from 2015-18.

Steve Forbes (Wake Forest)

Forbes has made multiple stops along his career in basketball and currently serves as the head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He also has head coaching stops at Northwest Florida State and East Tennessee State along with numerous stops as an assistant coach. As a head coach, he has notched 178 wins in his career.

Up-and-Comers

These names are younger, but they have shown promise in coaching collegiate basketball.

Drew Valentine (Loyola-Chicago)

Valentine is an up-and-comer in the industry at only 31 years of age, and he is currently the head man at Loyola-Chicago. He took over the head coaching role in 2021 after serving as an assistant on staff from 2017-21.

Pat Kelsey (College of Charleston)

Pat Kelsey (age 47) is currently the head coach at the College of Charleston where he has posted a 43-18 record since 2021. He served 10 years as the head coach at Winthrop before joining his current staff, and he has an 0-2 record in the NCAA Tournament.

Ryan Odom (Utah State)

Odom (age 48) has been the head coach at Utah State since 2021, and he also has head coaching stops at Lenoir-Rhyne (2015-16) and UMBC (2016-21). Prior to those positions, he held numerous assistant roles, including at Virginia Tech from 2003-10.

Bucky McMillan (Samford)

McMillan is currently in his first collegiate head coaching position at Samford, a spot he claimed in 2020. Prior to that, he was a coach at Mountain Brook (Ala.) High School where he posted a 333-74 record as a head coach from 2008-20.

Wild Cards

These coaches are certainly a stretch, but they are worth mentioning.

Penny Hardaway (Memphis)

Hardaway is currently the head coach of the Memphis Tigers, but NCAA baggage likely makes him a difficult hire to appeal to Keith Carter. Plus, would Hardaway leave his alma mater for a job in Oxford?

Will Wade (formerly LSU)

Wade has a track record of being a successful coach, but his controversies with the LSU Tigers involving the NCAA and FBI might make this hire less palatable for the Ole Miss fan base.

Chris Holtmann (Ohio State)

Holtmann has a strong track record at Ohio State, posting a 7-7 record in NCAA Tournament appearances. With no ties to the SEC (despite a difficult season with the Buckeyes this year) might make this snag difficult.

Chris Mack (formerly Louisville)

Mack's name was associated with the NCAA fallout at Louisville in recent years, and although he has a strong record as a head coach (278-133), his name might bring some challenges for Carter to overcome.

Other Names to Know

Austin Claunch (Nicholls State)

Bob Richey (Furman)

Robert Jones (Norfolk State)

Richie Riley (South Alabama)

Jonas Hayes (Georgia State)

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