Assault Charge Against Ex-Texas Basketball Coach Chris Beard Dropped

The coach was fired from the program on Jan. 5.
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Editors’ note: This story contains accounts of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a survivor of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or at https://www.thehotline.org/

Former Texas men’s basketball coach Chris Beard had his domestic violence charge dropped on Wednesday, Travis County district attorney Jose Garza announced.

“After a careful and thorough review of the evidence, recent public statements, and considering [Beard’s fiancee] Ms. [Randi] Trew’s wishes, our office has determined that the felony offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Garza said, via KXAN-TV.

Beard was arrested on Dec. 12 and charged with third-degree felony assault on a family/household member around 5 a.m. CT that day. The alleged family member was Beard’s fiancee, Randi Trew. She later said there was no assault and that Beard was just using “self-defense” in a “physical struggle” between the couple.

Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello of ESPN reported at the time that Austin police responded to a “disturbance hotshot” call shortly after midnight. Disturbance hotshot incidents are “incidents in progress that are an immediate threat to life and/or public safety.” Beard’s felony charge included “impeding breath circulation.”

Beard was first suspended indefinitely from his job by the school before officially being fired on Jan. 5

In the meantime, associate head coach Rodney Terry took over as the Longhorns’ interim coach. Texas is currently ranked No. 6 in the AP rankings with a 20–6 record.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.