East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Buckaroo Bryan Beard added his name to the list of Eastern Oregon high schoolers who have accepted scholarship offers this month when the 6-foot-9 center signed on to play basketball with the Oregon Institute of Technology next year.
The decision wasn’t hard to make, the senior said, after he met with Tech’s basketball coach Danny Miles in the spring. Miles will be in his 42nd season as coach of the Hustlin’ Owls by the time Beard takes his first step on the court in Klamath Falls next year. In that time, Miles has crafted one of the most successful NAIA programs in the country, winning national championships twice in the previous decade. The coach has reeled off 937 victories in his time with the school — the second highest career tally across all levels of college basketball.
“When I originally had gone there for a visit and we’d gotten introduced, I didn’t have any idea of what they’re all about,” said Beard, who signed his letter of intent on Nov. 9. “They have a good winning history and they also have a lot of fan support from the town.”