Texas is facing Chris Beard for the first time since UT fired Ole Miss Coach

On January 30, 2025By Littum

For the first time since his controversial firing from Texas two years ago, Ole Miss Basketball coach Chris Beard will face his former team when the rebels host Texas Basketball team on Wednesday.

Beard was arrested for domestic violence in December 2022 and was fired by Texas in January 2023. His former assistant, current Texas head coach Rodney Terry, took over the UT program on a temporary basis after Beard’s firing and led Longhorns to Elite Eight of 2023 NCAA – the tournament. Terry became a full-time coach after the 2022-23 season, and Beard became Ole Miss Coach in March 2023, just two months after criminal charges were placed.

But while Texas fans may still have some proposed feelings about the circumstances surrounding Beard’s departure, Terry has nothing but respect and gratitude for his former boss, who hired Terry as his main assistant before the 2021-22 season.

Terry, who has not spoken to the media since his team’s dramatic 70-69 victory over Texas A&M on Saturday, called Beard “One of my really, really close friends in the industry” under SEC’s Preseason Media Days in October.

“Chris and I go back,” Terry said in October. “I didn’t want this opportunity here in Texas if he wasn’t kind enough to bring me back to Texas. We are still really close right now. We are still talking, communicating at a high level and talking about other opponents – except for ourselves. “

Chris Beard: Why was he fired against Texas?

Beard was fired on January 5, 2023, less than a month after his arrest on December 12 on a third -degree crime of domestic violence after a change with his fiancé, Randi Trew. Police said they were sent to Beard’s house in his Tarrytown Quarter around 1 p.m. 2 on December 12, 2022, after Trew called 911 and said the coach had attacked her.

According to arrest warrant, Trew said the couple had cranked on their relationship for several days. She told police that she was approaching Beard in a guest bedroom, and after Beard ignored her, she became frustrated and took his glasses from his hand and broke them. She also told police that she “didn’t feel safe.”

Beard was booked in Travis County prison and was released later that day after sending $ 10,000 bail. He was offered the chance to resign, according to documents obtained by the US statesman under the Texas Public Information Act. However, he refused to resign while contesting the charges.

Perry Minton, Beard’s lawyer, wrote out before his client’s firing and said, “I will be on a record, which emphatically says and recalls that Coach Beard has done nothing to violate any provision in his contract with the University of Texas”

According to a statesman’s article in January 2023, James Davis, Vice President of UT Legal Affairs, responded in a tight letter: “Chris Beard engaged.

Ut athletic director Chris del Conte informed beards about the school’s decision to shoot the coach. In a statement, Del Conte said, “This has been a difficult situation that we have worked diligently through. We thank Coach Rodney Terry for his exemplary leadership both on and off the field at a time when our team needed it most. We are grateful that he will remain the functioning head coach for the rest of the season.

How has Chris Beard done by Ole Miss?

Beard, who was 2019 Associated Press National Coach of the Year after leading Texas Tech to the national championship game, signed a seven-year contract with UT in April 2021 for a flat salary of $ 5 million a year. His contract of $ 35 million included the use of two dealer cars, 20 hours of personal use of an out-jet, a $ 250,000 one-off payment for his moving expenses from Lubbock and incentives up to $ 850,000 to win the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament Games. UT paid Texas Tech $ 4 million to buy Beard’s contract.

Beard’s UT record was 29-13, including the school’s first NCAA tournament gain since 2014 in 2022.

Since the acquisition at Ole Miss before last season, Beard has a 35-17 record. Team of the Year, which is currently ranked No. 23 in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll, is 15-5 and at the pace of the program’s first NCAA-Tournament appearance since 2019. Beard signed a Contract extension after last season It pays him an annual salary of $ 5 million, the rate paid to beard of Texas before his firing.

Wednesday’s game

Texas (14-6, 3-4 sec) against No. 23 Ole Miss (15-5, 4-3), 20:00, ESPN2, 1300, 98.1

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