Jan 6, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
How Chris Beard and Ole Miss Borrowed Strategy From Nick Saban to Avoid “Letdown Games”
In college basketball, one of the toughest challenges a team faces is managing the mental and emotional highs and lows of a long season. Players are often susceptible to letdown games — moments when a team, after a high-profile victory or intense stretch, fails to bring their best effort, leading to an unexpected loss. However, in his first season as the head coach of Ole Miss, Chris Beard has drawn inspiration from one of the most successful coaches in all of sports, Nick Saban, to instill a mindset that helps avoid these letdown games.
Saban, the head football coach at the University of Alabama, has built a dynasty by consistently getting his teams to perform at a high level, regardless of the circumstances or external factors like the opponent’s strength or the timing of the game. His method for avoiding letdown games in college football — a sport known for its emotional and physical toll — has been widely recognized and adopted across different sports, including basketball.
This article will explore how Chris Beard has borrowed elements of Saban’s philosophy and tailored them to his own coaching style at Ole Miss, with a focus on his approach to avoiding letdown games.
The Challenge of Letdown Games
Letdown games are a phenomenon that occurs when a team is coming off a big win or victory, often against a highly-ranked opponent or in an emotionally charged atmosphere, and subsequently struggles in a less glamorous matchup. These games are not necessarily about a lack of talent but rather about maintaining the mental focus and intensity required to win consistently throughout the season.
In basketball, this issue is amplified by the grueling nature of the schedule. Teams can face a series of highly competitive games followed by seemingly less important matchups against lesser-ranked opponents or teams perceived as weaker. The mental fatigue, both physical and psychological, can lead to a lapse in focus, resulting in poor shooting, turnover-prone play, and an overall lack of urgency.
For a coach like Chris Beard, who has quickly built a reputation for getting the best out of his players, addressing this mental aspect of the game was crucial when he took over as head coach at Ole Miss. Beard, who previously found success at Texas Tech, knew that a consistent, professional approach was essential to avoid the pitfall of letdown games.
Saban’s Influence: The “Process” Philosophy
Nick Saban’s coaching philosophy, particularly his emphasis on focusing on the “process” rather than the outcome, has been credited with creating the Alabama football dynasty. Saban’s method involves teaching players to break down every element of their performance and focus on the small, everyday tasks that, when executed properly, lead to consistent success.
Saban refers to his approach as “The Process,” which means focusing on the task at hand without getting distracted by external factors like rankings, the opponent, or past victories. The idea is to train athletes to think about the details, the fundamentals, and the commitment required in each and every moment, regardless of what happened the day before or what might come tomorrow.
“Trust the process,” as Saban frequently states, involves ensuring players understand that preparation, discipline, and attention to detail are what lead to winning, not hype or emotional highs.
This philosophy has become the cornerstone of Saban’s success and has influenced many coaches across various sports. Saban’s model is particularly relevant in football, where the mental challenges of staying focused through long seasons and multiple games are incredibly difficult. However, its core principles also work in basketball, where the game’s pace and frequency of games present similar psychological challenges.
Chris Beard’s Adaptation of Saban’s Philosophy
When Chris Beard took the reins at Ole Miss, he faced the difficult task of changing the program’s culture, emphasizing a professional, focused approach that mirrored Saban’s model. Beard is known for his disciplined, intense coaching style and his ability to extract maximum effort from his players. Just as Saban places a premium on relentless preparation and not getting too caught up in the emotions surrounding the game, Beard has emphasized a similar mentality for his basketball team.
1. Emphasizing Mental Toughness
One of the first things Chris Beard did at Ole Miss was establish a culture of mental toughness. While skill development and basketball IQ are important, Beard recognized that consistency would be the key to avoiding letdown games. Saban’s influence can be seen in Beard’s approach to building a team that could withstand the mental and physical strains of a season.
Beard doesn’t let his team rest on past accomplishments. Even after significant wins, such as victories over ranked teams or in close, hard-fought games, Beard stresses the need to move on and focus on the next challenge. His practice sessions are intense, and he routinely sets the tone with a high level of preparation, mirroring Saban’s method of treating each practice as a championship-caliber session.
Beard ensures that his players understand that every game is a new opportunity, and their focus should remain squarely on execution rather than external noise. By emphasizing mental toughness, Beard fosters an environment where letdown games become rare occurrences.
2. Attention to Detail and Process-Oriented Play
Just like Saban, Beard’s teams are focused on the little things — the “process” of playing basketball. He makes sure his players are committed to the day-in, day-out work of becoming better. This approach doesn’t allow for any complacency.
Beard’s teams consistently emphasize fundamental skills, whether it’s sharp ball movement, solid defensive rotations, or ensuring that every possession counts. By drilling these basics into his players, Beard helps them stay focused on what they can control — their effort, their execution, and their preparation. Like Saban’s “process,” this focus on the little things builds confidence and prevents players from getting distracted by emotions or outside pressures.
3. Managing the Emotional Peaks and Valleys
One of the challenges of basketball, and sports in general, is managing emotional highs and lows. This is especially important in college basketball, where the highs of big wins can quickly be followed by the lows of disappointing losses. Beard has adopted a strategy similar to Saban’s to manage these emotional swings.
Beard encourages his players to maintain a level of emotional stability regardless of external circumstances. After big wins, Beard’s philosophy is to avoid letting the players bask in the glory for too long. They celebrate briefly, but then it’s back to work, preparing for the next opponent. This strategy ensures that players are not caught off guard when facing seemingly “easier” opponents or when playing on the road in difficult environments.
Just as Saban emphasizes keeping his Alabama football teams emotionally grounded, Beard works to create a steady, professional mindset in his basketball team. By keeping his players emotionally balanced, Beard significantly reduces the risk of letdown games, helping his team stay focused through the ups and downs of the season.
4. Consistent Leadership and Team Chemistry
One of the key aspects of Saban’s success is the consistency of leadership within the program. He doesn’t allow for fluctuations in leadership based on external factors. Beard has taken a similar approach by ensuring his leadership is unwavering and consistent. He holds players to high standards, instilling a sense of discipline and accountability that is aligned with the values of his program.
Furthermore, Beard has worked tirelessly to foster a strong team culture at Ole Miss. He has cultivated a close-knit group of players who understand that their success depends on each other. Like Saban’s focus on developing a family-like atmosphere at Alabama, Beard has built an environment where everyone is invested in the team’s success. This chemistry helps to avoid complacency and mental lapses, which are common ingredients in letdown games.
The Results: Avoiding Letdown Games and Building a Winning Culture
Through his dedication to mental toughness, process-oriented play, emotional balance, and consistent leadership, Chris Beard has helped Ole Miss avoid the kind of letdown games that often plague teams in college basketball. His players are focused on executing the basics, maintaining mental resilience, and staying disciplined no matter the situation.
As a result, Ole Miss has shown considerable improvement under Beard, and his team’s ability to stay focused on every game has been one of the key factors in their success. While it’s too early to say if Beard’s approach will result in the long-term dominance that Saban has built at Alabama, his ability to avoid letdown games has already become a hallmark of his coaching.
In adopting Nick Saban’s process-driven mentality, Chris Beard has laid the foundation for a team that is mentally tough, focused, and determined to succeed on a consistent basis. His ability to keep the team grounded and focused on the next task has paid off, making Ole Miss a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.
The true test of Beard’s ability to maintain this level of consistency will come as the season progresses and the stakes continue to rise. But with his attention to detail, leadership, and mental toughness, he’s already shown that he can build a program capable of avoiding the dreaded letdown games that plague so many others. If his philosophy continues to take root, the future looks bright for Ole Miss basketball.
