Texas A & M Coaching Candidates: Chris Beard, Brad Underwood among the options to replace Buzz Williams

The latest domino of the university basketball off-season fell on Tuesday when Texas A & M Coach Buzz Williams bolted for the same job in Maryland. The news of Maryland poacons Williams far from the dry came less than 72 hours after Villanova hired the former coach of Maryland Kevin Willard To succeed Kyle Neptune.

Williams has spent the last six seasons at College Station and has guided the Texas A&M program to three consecutive places in the NCAA tournament. The Aggies have won at least 21 games in the last four seasons. The 2024-25 Texas A&M season ended with a defeat against Michigan No. 5 in the second round of the NCAA tournament last month.

With Williams going to College Park, the sports director of Texas A&M, Trev Alberts, has the possibility of resetting the basketball program (Alberts arrived in 2024 and did not hire Williams).

One of the first calls that the former Nebraska announcement could make is the former Texas and Tech Tech Chris Beard coach. Beard guided Ole Miss at Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001 this season and won at least 20 games during the first two years of his mandate in Oxford.

If Texas A&M wants to stay in the state for its next coach, another name is worth a phone call is the coach of Texas Tech Grant McCasland. The Red Raiders reached Elite Eight last season under the McCasland watch.

Here are some of the best Texas A&M coach candidates could consider replacing Williams.

Chris Beard, Ole Miss

The former coach of Texas Tech and Texas knows the Lone Star State. Beard helped Texas Tech reach the national title of the title in 2019 before leaving for vacant work in Texas in 2021. Beard’s mandate in Austin did not last long, while the school dismissed him for the cause almost a month after his arrest for a third -degree crime accusation for having allegedly strangled, biting and assaulted his fiancée at home. Beard was hired in Ole Miss in 2023 and helped the program to reach Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001.

Beard has a 280-121 sheet in his coach career with 12 victories in the NCAA tournament. It comes with luggage but is undoubtedly one of the best coaches in the game.

Underwood, who has burst into the stage with his success to Stephen F. Austin, has been in Illinois since 2017 and the program has been at the NCAA tournament for five consecutive seasons under his watch. Illinois was on the right track to reach the NCAA tournament in 2020 for the first time in Underwood’s mandate, but the big dance was canceled due to COVVI-19. The Illinois has reached the elite last eight for the first time since 2005.

Underwood has a career as coaches of 274-128 in his career as a coach of the division L.

Oklahoma reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in Moser’s mandate last season before bouncing in the first round by the double reigning national champion Uconn. Before the arrival of Moser in Norman, in Oklahoma, he helped Loyola Chicago reach the Final Four in 2008.

Notable: Moser was deputy coach in Texas A & M from 1996 to 1998.

Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska

Hoiberg has been in Nebraska since 2019. The former coach of Iowa State and Chicago Bulls helped Nebraska reach the NCAA tournament last spring for the first time in a decade. The Cornhuskers won 18 games last season and missed the big dance after losing five consecutive games to finish the regular season.

Hoiberg has a 196-164 record as a university coach. He worked under Alberts when he was the announcement of the Nebraska. Would he be ready to leave the Midwest region, where he is clearly very comfortable?

Jans won at least 20 games in her first three seasons at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs come out of their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament. Before his arrival at the state of the Mississippi, the Bulldogs reached the NCAA tournament in three consecutive seasons only once (2002-05).

Jans is a candidate outside the box that familiarizes with the dry that Texas A&M could consider.

Grant McCasland, Texas Tech

McCaslad is the joker of this group. He is one of the fastest coaches in sport and just helped Texas Tech to reach the Elite Eight. The former coach of the Arkansas State and North Texas was a long -standing assistant to Baylor under Scott Drew and transformed the Red Raiders into one of the elite programs of the Big 12 of his short term.

McCasland can say no to work, but it is worth making the call at least.

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