Texas men’s basketball coach arrested

Chris Beard, who coached Texas Tech to the 2019 NCAA championship game and was hired away by Texas with expectations he’d elevate his alma mater to the same elite level, was arrested early Monday on a felony family violence charge after a woman told police he had strangled her.

Beard was arrested by Austin police and booked in the Travis County jail at 4:18 a.m. on a charge of assault on a family or household member in which their breath was impeded, or choking in common terms.

The charge is a third-degree felony in Texas, with a possible punishment of two to 10 years in prison.

Beard went before a magistrate judge for his bond hearing, wearing jailhouse black-and-grey stripes and his hands were cuffed in front at his waist. Beard was told he could communicate with the alleged victim but not in a threatening manner, was ordered to stay 200 yards from the residence where police were called and was told he’s barred from possessing a firearm.

Beard nodded his head and answered “yes, sir” several times when addressing the judge. Jail records show Beard posted $10,000 bond. He didn’t answer questions when he left the jail with his attorney Perry Minton.

Minton declined comment but earlier told the Austin American-Statesman the coach is innocent of the charge.

“He should never have been arrested,” Minton told the newspaper. “The complainant wants him released immediately and all charges dismissed. It is truly inconceivable.”

The arrest affidavit was not immediately released. But a short narrative Austin police wrote with Beard’s jail photograph said police received an emergency disturbance call shortly after midnight. The caller said the incident was over and that one of the people involved had left the house.

Responding officers located a woman who told them she’d been “assaulted and strangled” by Beard. It wasn’t immediately known if she had an attorney.

The seventh-ranked Longhorns (7-1) host Rice Monday night. They were ranked No. 2 a week ago, the program’s highest ranking in more than a decade.

“The university is aware of the situation regarding Chris Beard,” the school said in a statement. “We are continuing to gather information and monitoring the legal process.”

Baseball

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Soccer

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