Texas did the right thing today when the Big 12 school fired Chris Beard with cause a month after he was suspended without pay following his arrest on domestic family violence charge.
Beard had it all — a seven-year deal worth $35 million– and a shot to win a national championship at a school with unlimited resources and he lost it all with one poor decision in his personal life.
Beard was arrested on the morning of Dec. 12 after his fiancee, Randi Trew, told officers he choked her from behind, bit her and hit her when the two got into an argument. Beard’s attorney Perry Minton said at the time Beard was “100 percent innocent of these charges” and Trew released a statement on Dec. 23 in which she denied telling police he choked her. She has since denied telling law enforcement that happened and Beard was only acting in self defense with no intention to hurt her.
But the damage was already done.
Believe what you want. But Trew’s statement did not address why she made the emergency call or any other details of the police report, such as bite marks or abrasions on her face and telling officers she couldn’t breathe for about five seconds.
In these days of the Me Too movement, Texas chose not to gamble with its integrity.
As for the Travis County Distinct Attorney’s office, they say the matter is still under review and they are evaluating all the evidence. “Our office takes all allegations of domestic violence seriously,” the office said in a statement. “In each case, we are committed to working through the unique challenges presented.”
Minton said Beard “was crushed” by the news and claimed the university went ahead without asking Beard or Trew any questions.
“I am concerned 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,” Minton said. “The University has violated their agreement with the coach and we are devastated.”
UT did not take long to respond. VP of Legal Affairs Jim Davis, firing a blow torch in the direction of Minton. “Your letter reveals that Mr. Beard does not understand the significance of the behavior he knows he engaged in, or the ensuring events that impair his ability to effectively lead our program. The lack of self–awareness is yet another failure in judgment.that makes Mr. Beard unfit to serve as a head coach at our university..” He enclosed a letter of termination.
Beard has been the head coach at Texas since 2021, two years after he coached Texas Tech to the NCAA title game. In his lone season at Austin, he was 21-12, losing in the second round of the tournament. But this team could have been special.
Beard coached the Longhorns to a 7-1 start before his arrest. Interim coach Rodney Terry won five straight before a high scoring loss to Kansas State.
Beard’s contract has a clause that under which he can be fired for cause for conduct that includes being charged with a felony.
We’ll wait for the outcome, but blaming the police is not a good look and at this point it doesn’t look like any school with scruples will touch him, no matter how talented he is.
