Keith Carter Shows 'Tough Skin' With Chris Beard Hire at Ole Miss

The Rebels don't have a long history of men's basketball success, but they show their commitment to remedying that with their latest head coaching hire.

Keith Carter is not opposed to making coaching hires that may receive pushback on social media.

Shortly after his tenure began, Carter called upon Lane Kiffin to lead the Ole Miss Rebels' football program. Kiffin has never been in legal trouble, but his perception around the coaching industry centered on immaturity and rash decisions in his past.

Since he's arrived in Oxford, he's won.

Now, Carter has made what many will perceive as a more controversial hire with the acquirement of Chris Beard as the Rebels' basketball coach. Beard was arrested in December of last year on domestic violence charges, and although those charges were later dropped, the perception around this hire has brought a wave of pushback from fans and media members alike.

That's not something Carter has run from in the past.

I'm not sourced on this in the slightest, but I believe that Carter, an Ole Miss basketball alum, would not have made this hire had he not vetted Beard extensively. There is a lot at stake with a hire such as this, and while this shows the Rebels' commitment to winning in this program, you have to be safe so that your program isn't cratered in the process.

There will be (and has been) pushback on this hire. That's the world of news we live in, but Carter knew that when he made the hire. He pulled the trigger anyway, and now, the pressure is on.

If Beard is successful in this new post, much of this will be forgotten in time. If he's not, Carter will take the brunt of another wave of criticism due to this controversial hire.

Still, this shows just how strongly Ole Miss wants to win in men's basketball. The Rebels have a top-tier basketball facility in the SJB Pavilion, and the commitment of resources to this program means that winning is paramount. Now, the Rebels have a top-tier coach to go with that facility, and time will tell if the gamble pays off.

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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