Texas men's basketball coach Chris Beard arrested on assault charge
Beard became the Longhorns head coach in 2021
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Texas men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard was arrested for assault on a family member in Texas early Monday morning, according to police records.
Beard, 49, was booked into the Travis County Jail at around 5:18 a.m. on a third degree felony charge of assault on a family/household member impeding breath circulation, according to inmate records from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
Texas Longhorns head coach Chris Beard looks on during the Illinois Fighting Illini game at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 6, 2022, in New York City. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Austin Police received a 911 call for a disturbance just after midnight but were told the disturbance was "no longer ongoing" and one individual involved had left the home. Officers later located a woman who claimed she had been "assaulted and strangled" by Beard.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Beard was released in the afternoon.
According to ESPN, the head coach is allowed to speak with the victim but must stay 200 yards away from the residence where police were initially called to.
His attorney denied the charges in a statement to the Austin American-Statesman.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Coach Beard is 100% innocent of these charges. He should never have been arrested. The complainant wants him released immediately and all charges dismissed. It is truly inconceivable."
The university acknowledged Beard’s arrest in a statement, via FOX Sports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Christopher Michael Beard, 49, was charged with assault by Strangulation/Suffocation - Family Violence, a third degree felony. (Austin Police Dept)
"The University is aware of the situation regarding Chris Beard. We are continuing to gather information and monitoring the legal process."
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Beard joined the Longhorns in April 2021 after leading Texas Tech to the 2019 NCAA Championship Game and the 2018 Elite Eight. In his 12 seasons as a head coach, he is 274-115 and 164-72 as a Division I head coach.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Longhorns reacts during the Gonzaga Bulldogs game at the Moody Center on Nov. 16, 2022, in Austin, Texas. (Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
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In his first year at Texas, Beard led the Longhorns to a 22-12 overall record.