The Grove Report

Ole Miss Rebels Reveal Chris Beard's First-Year Staff

Ole Miss men's basketball unveiled Chris Beard's first-year staff on Wednesday.

Ben King

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team released the details for Chris Beard's first-year coaching staff on Wednesday as the team prepares for their inaugural season under Beard's leadership. 

Beard's staff is made up of 14 new assistants and support staff members who bring valuable years of experience at both the collegiate and professional levels to Oxford, and comprises multiple staffers who have previously worked with Beard throughout his coaching career. 

The entire coaching staff is listed below.

Wes Flanigan – Assistant Coach

Flanigan spent the last five seasons with the Auburn Tigers and now joins Beard's staff for the second time in his career. Wes is the father to former Auburn Tigers guard Allen Flanigan, who committed to the Rebels in May. Flanigan has coached for the Mississippi State Bulldogs (2012-15), Nebraska Cornhuskers (2010-12), and UAB Blazers (2008-10). Flanigan was a member of Beard's staff when they helped lead the Little Rock Trojans to an upset over No. 5-seed Purdue in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Al Pinkins - Assistant Coach

Pinkins returns to Oxford after previously coaching the Rebels from 2011-14. Pinkins has coached for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Florida Gators, LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, and Ole Miss. Pinkins was a member of Beard's staff at Texas Tech from 2016-18 and was most recently in his second stint with the Red Raiders last year.

Bob Donewald Jr. – Assistant Coach

Donewald Jr. spent the last two seasons with the Texas Longhorns and was on Beard's staff at Texas Tech for the 2020-21 season. Donewald has been an NBA assistant with the Charlotte Hornets (2001-02), New Orleans Pelicans (2002-03), and Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-04). Donewald also has experience coaching professionally overseas in Russia, China, Ukraine, Brazil, and the UK.

 Win Case – Special Assistant to the Coach

Case returns for his sixth season at Ole Miss after being named the team's interim head coach in February for the remainder of the 2022-23 regular season. Case has been an assistant at Ole Miss for the last five seasons. Case's leadership helped the Rebels upset the South Carolina Gamecocks in the opening round of the 2023 SEC Tournament.

Brian Burg – Analyst

This will be Burg's third stint on Beard's coaching staff, as he previously joined Beard at Texas Tech and Little Rock. Burg has coached the Georgia Southern Eagles for the last three seasons and achieved a 42-44 overall record while in Statesboro. Burg was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award in 2020-21, given annually to the No. 1 first-year head coach in Division 1.

John Reilly – Strength and Conditioning Coach

Reilly takes over as Ole Miss' strength and conditioning coach and has worked with Beard since 2016. Reilly was previously with Texas for the last two seasons and was with Texas Tech from 2016-21. Reilly has experience working with the Texas football strength and conditioning staff and has served as a volunteer assistant with the BYU Cougars and Michigan Wolverines.

Anthony Johnson – Director of Player Development

Johnson reunites with Beard after spending the last two seasons with the South Carolina Upstate Spartans. Johnson worked as the director of development and recruiting at Georgia Southern prior to his stint with USC Upstate. Johnson was a graduate assistant for the 2018-19 season at Texas Tech under Beard.

Derrick Mallison – Director of Video Operations

Mallison spent the 2022-23 season with the South Carolina State Bulldogs as an assistant after previously working with the Memphis Tigers for three years. Mallison worked with the Chicago Bulls for two seasons as a basketball operations associate, where he helped with video and scouting efforts and assisted in player development.

Parker Eidson – Director of Basketball Operations

Edison arrives at Ole Miss after spending the last five seasons with the UT Arlington Mavericks as the director of operations. He was previously a graduate assistant on Beard's staff at Texas Tech during the 2017-18 season when the Red Raiders made a postseason run to the Elite Eight.

Beard's support staff will include Kara Hobson, (Administrative Assistant), Drew Clinton (Associate Athletic Director for Academic Support), Mike Swartz (Assistant Director of Communications), Josie Nicholson, Ph.D. (Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Psychology), Spencer Hill (Equipment Manager/Tuohy Basketball Center Services), and Jordyn Kleve (Sports Dietitian).

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Ben King
BEN KING

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