Chris Beard fired as Texas head basketball coach, school announces

Chris Beard is officially out as Texas basketball’s head coach.

UT Austin announced the news Thursday, posting a statement from athletic director Chris Del Conte to the Longhorns website:

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.

We thank Coach Rodney Terry for his exemplary leadership both on and off the court at a time when our team needed it most. We are grateful he will remain the acting head coach for the remainder of the season.

We are proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, who throughout this difficult time have continued to make us proud to be Longhorns.

Beard’s firing is for cause after his December arrest for domestic violence. Texas legal affairs considers Beard unfit to be the program’s head coach, regardless of any further developments in the legal case.

Beard, 49, was the 2019 Associated Press national coach of the year at Texas Tech. He took the Texas job in 2021 and guided the Longhorns to last year’s NCAA Tournament.

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  • I can understand wanting to review all the facts before terminating employment, but it appears the facts in this situation could be gathered rather quickly.

        • Same argument South Carolina has been making about Southern Cal for years. Not sure it matters.

        • I'm curious about this. When was the first publication where the University of Tennessee and University of South Carolina are referenced as UT and USC? Is there a proof in print? I'm betting there is, but I am curious.

        • For example, Michigan State had MSU before Mississippi State ever used it. Mississippi State was originally A&M.

        • Well, seeing as this is a SEC website, and UT is a founding member of the SEC, and Texas is a punk newcomer to the conference, I would think our SEC brethren would know which side to be on.

        • Why don't we just call them what everyone outside both states have always called them - Tennessee and Texas? Nobody refers to either of them as UT.

        • Never the less, UT stopped being called Blount College in 1807. In 1876, UT was called East Tennessee University.

          And @sonofthesouth, what are you talking about? Everybody calls Tennessee UT.

        • "Everybody" doesn't live in East Tennessee. The rest of the country that doesn't live in Tennessee refers to them simply as Tennessee.

          Now, if you say "everybody who is somebody lives in the heart of East Tennessee," I'd let you have that one. It's beautiful country, for sure.

        • Well, perhaps you're right. I can't speak for everyone. It was an overgeneralization. But I have heard announcers and other talking heads refer to Tennessee as UT.

          But there can be other opinions on the subject.

        • lol nobody called Tenn, UT. Everybody knows Texas is UT. The written records predate that of tenn. Their sports programs are the best overall in college sports. Their school is much better. There brand is better. end of story lol

  • Imagine having a guaranteed contract to make $5 million a year for the next 5 years just as long as you don't commit any felonies.

    Then you bite and strangle your fiancée.

  • So has the Nate Oats watch officially begun? I’m assuming UT will have a pile of cash to throw at whomever they decide to go after and I’d imagine CNO would be a magical pairing.

      • Excuse me, "Oats hasn't done much yet"?

        He's in his 8th year as a college head coach and has taken his team's to the tourney 5 times, and that will be 6 times after this season. He's won his conference tournament 4 times and regular season champ 3 times. He has turned Bama into a consistent top 25 team (this year and 2020 consistently in the top 10, actually) while bringing in top recruiting classes and sending multiple players to the NBA. Oats is one of the best coaches in America right now.

    • Their fanbase is pining for Jay Wright, Billy Donovan, some have mentioned Jamie Dixon (I think that's just a lets pluck TCU because we can thing). A few have mentioned Mark Few, no pun intended, but that ain't happening. Haven't seen Oats mentioned but honestly I don't think they know who Nate Oats is or are even aware Bama is pretty decent in basketball now. That's not a shot to Oats or Bama, that's just knowing Texas fandom.

      • One fandom thing those Longhorns are gonna have to get used to is down horns. They can keep their ‘we make the rules because we’re the bully’ attitude in Austin.

        • Idk, I half expect Sankey to cave in and make it an unsportsman-like conduct penalty for opposing players doing it on the field, just like the Bevo12 did.

      • LSU has never been the "University of Louisiana State." Mississippi State was Mississippi A&M as an original member, until becoming Mississippi State University. Tulane University was an original member. Vanderbilt has been Vanderbilt University since 1875. Auburn was Alabama Polytechnic Institute until 1960 when it because Auburn University. None of those schools ever put "university" in front.

Published by
Andrew Olson