3. Chris Beard, Texas Tech head coach
If the Bulls are going to look to the college ranks to find their next head coach, if they decide to oust Boylen, then look no further than the Texas Tech Red Raiders and their current head coach Chris Beard. A rising star in a tough conference to play in, the Big 12, Beard should get an NBA job soon if he so desires.
Although Beard didn’t look like he was going to be able to take Texas Tech as far in the NCAA Tournament this season as he did last (National Champion runner-up), he did have a rather successful year given the circumstances. Texas Tech lost a lot of talent and experience last offseason, including former standout shooting guard/wing Jarrett Culver in the 2019 NBA Draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Beard started his college hoops coaching career at Arkansas-Little Rock during the 2015-16 season. He finished up his first, and only, year as the UALR head coach with a record of 30-5. Beard then took over as the Texas Tech head coach, where he holds a record of 76-30 over the course of the last three years.
An avid producer of NBA-level talent, Beard is maybe the perfect coach for the Bulls to go after. He produced Culver out of nowhere in college basketball during the 2018-19 season. He then helped to develop the likes of former four-star recruit and 6-foot-5 guard Jahmi’us Ramsey this year.
Other names could surface in a potential Bulls coaching search from the college ranks, including Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright and Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett.