Chris Beard, the men’s basketball coach at Texas, was detained after allegedly strangling a member of his family. Let’s see why was Chris Beard arrested and did he assault a family member in detail.
KEY POINTS
- Chris Beard, the head coach of Texas’ men’s basketball team, was detained for domestic abuse.
- An accusation of obstructing breathing is brought against a member of the family or home.
- After midnight, Austin police were summoned to a residence, and Beard was arrested at 4 am.
Why was Chris Beard arrested?
According to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas men’s basketball coach Chris Beard was detained on a felony domestic violence complaint after being accused of strangling a family member.
The third-degree assault on a family member charge has been lodged against the 49-year-old Beard. The charge is “Assault on family household member restricts breath circulation,” according to the Sheriff’s Office website.
According to Austin police, Beard was taken into custody on Monday morning at 4:18 local time. The Travis County Jail is where he is now being held.
Inquiries were forwarded to Austin Police through a County Sheriff’s spokesperson, but they did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
According to Austin police, they received a “disturbance hotshot” complaint after midnight, and officers were sent to a residential neighborhood in the 1900 block of Vista Lane in Texas’ capital city, according to ESPN.
The department’s website defines a “hotshot call” as an “event that is now occurring [and] poses an imminent threat to life and/or public safety.”
With a record of 7-1, the Longhorns are now rated second overall in the Associated Press poll. On Monday night, they will visit Rice, an in-state foe. Beard left Texas Tech in 2021 and is now in his second season at Texas.
Following the arrest, the school issued the following succinct statement: “The institution is aware of the situation affecting Chris Beard.” We are still gathering data and keeping an eye on the judicial system.
According to Beard’s bio from Angelo State University, where he served as a coach from 2013 to 2015, he and his wife Leslie have three daughters.
Since then, the 49-year-old has had coaching positions at Little Rock and Texas Tech, where he led the Red Raiders to the NCAA championship game in 2019 and earned the AP National Coach of the Year award.
The tournament run helped Beard secure a rumored seven-year, $35 million contract with the Texas athletic department in April 2021, even though Texas Tech would ultimately lose to Virginia.
BREAKING: University of Texas head men's basketball coach Chris Beard was arrested and charged with assault on a family member early Monday, Austin police confirm. We are attempting to learn more.
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) December 12, 2022
Did he assault a family member?
According to Austin police spokesperson Brandon Jones, Beard is charged with choking someone at a residence in the Tarrytown section of West Austin. On Monday at 2:07 a.m., police responded to a 911 “disturbance-urgent” call.
As per the Travis County sheriff’s office detention records, Beard was arrested around 4:18 a.m. on Monday. 49-year-old Beard is accused of assaulting a member of his or her family by obstructing their ability to breathe. Online prison records show that Beard was still incarcerated as of 9 a.m. Monday and that no bail had been set.
In a brief statement about the arrest, UT said: “The circumstance surrounding Chris Beard is known to the university. We are keeping tabs on the legal procedure and gathering further facts.”
Who was Chris Beard?
Beard, 49, is a second-year teacher at Texas. Beard spent five seasons at Texas Tech, where the coach guided the Red Raiders to the NCAA championship game in 2019, before taking over for Shaka Smart in 2021.
Beard, a 1995 Texas alumnus, has previously served as a coach at Fort Scott Community College, Seminole State College, McMurry University, Angelo State, and Arkansas-Little Rock.
Beard signed a seven-year contract with Texas when he was hired, with an annual salary of $5 million. The contract specifies that the university may fire or suspend Beard for cause if “Any conduct (a) that the University administration reasonably determines is clearly unbecoming to a Head Coach and reflects poorly on the University, the Program, or The University of Texas System; or (b) that results in the Head Coach being charged with a felony or any crime involving theft, dishonesty, or moral turpitude.”
This is a common provision in UT coaching agreements. Rice will play a home game against Beard’s No. 2-ranked Longhorns (7-1) on Monday night at Moody Center. Texas’ most recent game was on Saturday when it defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 88–43.
Texas has not officially stated if Beard will lead tonight’s team. Rodney Terry, the associate head coach, previously served as the head coach at Fresno State (2018–21) and UTEP (2018–21). (2011-18).
Assistant coaches Bob Donewald Jr. and Brandon Chappell are also members of Beard’s staff. The team’s managing director, Chris Ogden, previously served as UT-head Arlington’s coach from 2018 to 21.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.
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