UT basketball coach suspended following arrest

University of Texas basketball coach Chris Beard was suspended without pay following his arrest early Monday.

Austin police spokesman Brandon Jones said Beard is accused of choking a person at a home in the Tarrytown neighborhood in West Austin. Officers responded to a 911 “disturbanceurgent” call at 2:07 a.m. Monday.

According to Beard’s affidavit, an officer responded to a 911 call at just after midnight and was met at the door by a woman who identified herself as Beard’s fiancée.

Beard was booked into jail at 4:18 a.m., according to the Travis County sheriff’s office jail records. He faces a thirddegree felony charge of assault on a family/household member impeding breath circulation and finally released after posting a $10,000 bond.

The second-year Longhorns coach has been suspended by UT without pay “until further notice,” according to a statement. Associate head coach Rodney Terry will serve as head coach for Monday night’s game against Rice.

“The University takes matters of interpersonal violence involving members of its community seriously. Given the information available, The University has suspended Chris Beard from his position as head coach of Men’s Basketball and will withhold his pay until further notice,” UT said in a brief statement.

A 1995 UT grad, Beard, 49, is in his second season in Austin. Before replacing Shaka Smart in 2021, he spent five seasons at Texas Tech and led the Red Raiders to the 2019 NCAA championship game. Beard, who has also coached at Fort Scott Community College, Seminole State College, Mc-Murry University, Angelo State and Arkansas-Little Rock.

When he was hired at UT in 2021, Beard received a sevenyear contract with an annual salary of $5 million.

A standard clause in the contract allows the UT to terminate or suspend Beard with cause for “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) resulting in a criminal charge being brought against Head Coach involving a felony, or any crime involving theft, dishonesty, or moral turpitude.”