Texas Basketball: Chris Beard suspended ‘until further notice’ after arrest
Multiple reports (including one from ESPN) came in on the evening of Dec. 12 showing that Texas basketball head coach Chris Beard will be suspended “until further notice” after he was arrested on assault charges. Early in the morning of Dec. 12, Beard was arrested in the Tarrytown neighborhood in Austin on third-degree felony assault charges, which Matt Norlander of CBS Sports and Tony Plohetski of the Austin American-Statesman initially reported.
Following the news of Beard’s arrest on the morning of Dec. 12, the University of Texas released this statement.
"“The University takes matters of interpersonal violence involving members of its community seriously.”"
Beard was reportedly booked by Austin police at 4:18 a.m. CT in Travis County on “third-degree charge of assault of a family/household member, impede breath circulation, or strangulation”.
UPDATE: Austin police spokesman Brandon Jones says it is alleged that Beard strangled a person at a home in Tarrytown. Officers responded to a 911 "disturbance-urgent" call at 2:07 a.m. Monday. https://t.co/sS27S8w8u6
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) December 12, 2022
Texas basketball head coach Chris Beard reportedly suspended “until further notice” without pay after getting arrested on Dec. 12
He was released from Travis County jail at 2:44 p.m. CT after posting a cash bond that was set at $10,000.
BREAKING: Prominent Austin attorney Perry Minton, representing Beard says: "Coach Beard is 100 percent innocent of these charges. He should have never been arrested. The complainant wants him released immediately and all charges dismissed. It is truly inconceivable." https://t.co/QtZOcu8kkq
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) December 12, 2022
Beard’s attorney Perry Minton told the Austin American-Statesman that he is “100 percent innocent of these charges” and that “he should have never been arrested”.
Beard is in his second season as Texas’ head coach. Prior to taking the Texas job early in the 2021 offseason, he was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders for five seasons. And before becoming Texas Tech’s head coach, he held the same position with Arkansas-Little Rock for one season.
Texas has a record of 7-1 (0-0 Big 12) this season.
In the meantime, Texas associate head coach Rodney Terry will fill in as the interim head coach. Texas is set to face the Rice Owls at home at the Moody Center in Austin on Dec. 12.
Terry is no stranger to coaching at the Division I level. He was a Division 1 college hoops head coach from 2011-2021 with the Fresno State Bulldogs (2011-2018) and UTEP Miners (2018-2021). Terry has served as Texas’ associate head coach since the start of the 2021-22 season.
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The Longhorns come into the Rice game on Dec. 12 looking to extend its winning streak to two games after beating the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions on Dec. 10 by the final score of 88-43. Texas tips off against Rice on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. CT at the Moody Center in Austin.