Texas basketball coach, Chris Beard, was arrested Monday morning on a felony domestic violence charge. Austin police arrested Beard, 49, and booked him at 4:18 a.m. CDT on a third-degree charge of “assault of a family/household member, impede breath circulation,” or strangulation. Beard was released from the Travis County jail at 2:44 p.m. after posting a cash bond.
According to Austin police, they received a “disturbance hotshot” call and officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of Vista Lane shortly after midnight on Monday. A “hotshot” call is defined as an incident that is in progress and poses an immediate threat to life and/or public safety. These calls are dispatched immediately.
Beard’s attorney, Perry Minton, has stated that Beard is “100% innocent of these charges” and that “the complainant wants him released immediately and all charges dismissed. It is truly inconceivable.” Texas has issued a statement acknowledging the situation and saying that they are continuing to gather information and monitor the legal process to determine what Texas basketball coach, Chris Beard is responsible for.
Beard is in his second season with the Longhorns, and is under a seven-year guaranteed contract that pays him more than $5 million per year. Before joining Texas, he was the head coach at Texas Tech, where he compiled a 112-55 record over five seasons. He was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2019 after leading the Red Raiders to a 31-7 record and a loss in the national championship game to Virginia.
His contract with Texas includes a provision that allows the university to fire him for cause if his conduct is determined to reflect poorly on the coach, program, school, or university system. This includes being charged with a felony.