Ole Miss Coach Pens Classy Note for Alabama Player Amid Eligibility Controversy

Chris Beard reaches out to Charles Bediako after NCAA ruling ends his season

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard wrote a personal, handwritten letter to Alabama center Charles Bediako after a judge ruled that Bediako was ineligible to continue playing this season. Beard said he wanted to encourage Bediako "the human being" during this difficult time, even though they are opponents. Alabama coach Nate Oats praised Beard's "classy" gesture, noting that Beard had also met with the Ole Miss student section to ensure there would be no taunting directed at Bediako.

Why it matters

The note from Beard to Bediako demonstrates sportsmanship and empathy during a challenging situation for the Alabama player, who had his college basketball career interrupted by an NCAA eligibility ruling. Beard's actions set a positive example of how coaches can support student-athletes, even those on opposing teams, when they face adversity.

The details

Charles Bediako, Alabama's 7-foot center, was ruled ineligible to continue playing this season after a Tuscaloosa County judge denied his request for an injunction in his ongoing case against the NCAA. As a result, Bediako opted to remain in Tuscaloosa while his Alabama teammates traveled to play Ole Miss. Before the game, Ole Miss coach Chris Beard handed Alabama coach Nate Oats a handwritten letter intended for Bediako, which Oats described as "one of the classiest moves I've ever seen." Beard said he wrote the letter to encourage Bediako "the human being" during this difficult time, even though they are opponents.

  • On Monday, a Tuscaloosa County judge ruled that Bediako was ineligible to continue playing this season.
  • On Wednesday, Alabama played at Ole Miss, with Bediako opting to remain in Tuscaloosa.

The players

Chris Beard

The head basketball coach for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).

Charles Bediako

The 7-foot center for the University of Alabama basketball team, who was ruled ineligible to continue playing this season after a judge denied his request for an injunction in his case against the NCAA.

Nate Oats

The head basketball coach for the University of Alabama.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“That's a personal deal. I was just thinking about Charles the human being. I don't know him, seen him play a lot of basketball. He's a good player. So, I have no dog in the fight in terms of the whole situation. But I do know there's a human being involved, and watching some of the stuff that was going on at the games.”

— Chris Beard, Head Coach, University of Mississippi (on3.com)

“I thought it was an extremely well-written, thoughtful thing for an opposing coach to do that understands that we're still coaching young men. This is not a object we're dealing with. It's a young man with a basketball career in front of him, with an educational career in front of him, and coach Beard understands it.”

— Nate Oats, Head Coach, University of Alabama (on3.com)

What’s next

The NCAA will continue to review Bediako's eligibility case, and it remains to be seen if he will be able to return to the court at any point this season.

The takeaway

Chris Beard's gesture of writing a personal note to Charles Bediako, an opposing player facing an NCAA eligibility issue, demonstrates the importance of sportsmanship and empathy in college athletics. Even as competitors, coaches can support student-athletes as human beings and set a positive example for how to handle adversity with class.