Former Texas men's basketball coach Chris Beard's domestic violence charge dropped
The domestic violence charge against former University of Texas men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard has been dropped, according to an announcement from the Travis County District Attorney's office Wednesday.
In December, Beard was accused of choking a woman the police identified as his fiancee at a home in Tarrytown, an upscale Austin neighborhood near the UT campus. Since then, the District Attorney's office has not been able to successfully advance the case.
“After a careful and thorough review of the evidence, recent public statements, and considering [the woman's] wishes, our office has determined that the felony offense cannot be proven beyond reasonable doubt,” the District Attorney's statement said.
A former Longhorn, Beard was hired to coach the Longhorns in April 2021. He was suspended without pay in December 2022 and officially terminated at the beginning of January for what was described as “unacceptable behavior that makes him unfit to serve as head coach at our university."
The 49-year-old was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge the night of the alleged incident and released on a $10,000 bond shortly after. His release was contingent on an agreement that he stay a 200-yard distance from the victim for two months. He was, however, allowed to communicate with the woman.
According to the affidavit, the woman described the incident to police, claiming that he "choked me, threw me off the bed, bit me, bruises all over my leg, throwing me around, and going nuts."
The police report documented that officers observed injuries to match the woman’s description of events, including a bite mark on the right forearm, a cut to the left thumb and abrasions to the right eyebrow and left leg.
A week after Beard’s suspension, the woman’s account of events changed via a statement released through her attorney. She apologized for the situation and said she initiated a physical confrontation with Beard, whom she said acted in self-defense. She also said she told law enforcement that he did not strangle her that night.
Rodney Terry has served as the Longhorns head coach since Dec. 12 and will remain the acting head coach for the remainder of the season. The team is already working through possible long-term replacements for Beard.
