Intro

On Thursday, January 5th, 2023, the University of Texas fired its basketball coach Chris Beard. University of Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte made a statement.

“The University of Texas has parted ways with Chris Beard. This has been a difficult situation that we’ve been diligently working through. Today, I informed Mr. Beard of our decision to terminate him effective immediately.”

Chris Del Conte (Texas Athletic Director)

This comes after his arrest on December 12th for a felony domestic violence charge. He had allegedly assaulted his fiancée at their Austin home by strangling her. It marks the end of a very short tenure for Chris Beard at the University of Texas basketball.

Chris Beard’s History with Texas

Only a year ago, Chris Beard was brought in after parting ways with Shaka Smart (2015-2021). After a 19-8 record, Texas under Coach Smart lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Abilene Christian 52-53.

Then came Coach Chris Beard. In Chris’s first year at Texas, he led the Longhorns to a 22-12 record and finished 25th in the AP poll. In the tournament, he took the 6th seed Texas past 11th seed Virginia Tech (who won the ACC tournament against Duke) 81-73. However, they lost in the second round to 3rd seed Purdue 71 – 81.

The 2022-2023 season saw much hype for the UT basketball program, with many saying Texas is a legitimate championship contender. They would start the season as the 12th-ranked team in the AP poll. In week 4, they would rank 2nd in the AP polls, with a historic win against #2 Gonzaga. UT currently ranks and checks in at 6th, with a record of 12-2.

Currently, Rodney Terry, who has been serving as head coach of UT since Dec. 12, will remain the acting head coach for the remainder of the season. Rodney Terry was the coach of Fresno State, and UTEP, before coming to UT as an assistant coach for Chris Beard. His current record with Texas is 5-1.

Lawyer Statement

Chris Beard’s attorney Perry Minton released a statement, slamming the University of Texas’ decision to terminate Beard without, in his characterization, conducting a full investigation into the incident. He would say:

“Chris Beard is crushed at the news he will not be couching [sic] at the University of Texas. At the outset of Coach Beard’s suspension, The University promised they would conduct an independent investigation surrounding the allegations and make a decision regarding his employment only after they had done so. They proceeded to terminate Coach Beard without asking a single question of him or his fiancé [sic]. Since the arrest, there have only been positive developments clearly demonstrating his innocence. Additionally, it is my opinion, shared by others, that any potential charges against Coach Beard will be declined very soon.

 

This is in addition to the statements made by his fiancé [sic] that emphatically state that the original reports were inaccurate. I am concerned that the University of Texas has made a terrible decision against the interest of the University, based on Twitter feeds and editorials — and not the facts concerning a truly innocent man. The University has violated their agreement with the coach, and we are devastated.”

Perry Minton

Minton alleges that the University of Texas forced him to resign or be terminated. Minton also clarified in the letter that there could be a battle over the remainder of Beard’s $35 million contract if Texas claims it fired Beard with cause.

Conclusion

Chris Beard made the University of Texas a basketball powerhouse and an NCAA championship-caliber team in NCAA basketball. At UT Austin, it looked like he was making Texas a strong contender for the Big 12 championship and a run in the March Madness tournament. His firing marks were a very interesting point in UT basketball, with them having a championship-contending roster and players, but, however needing a championship-caliber coach in Rodney Terry. Undoubtedly, Chris Beard missed a lifetime opportunity with Texas. Having a 7-year $35 million contract, and coaching at his alma mater while possessing an impressive roster full of talent, Chris Beard lost his precious opportunity.