Chris Beard’s fiancée is speaking out, denying the Texas coach strangled her in the incident that led to his arrest. Police were dispatched to the couple’s home on December 12th, responding to a domestic complaint alleging Beard had strangled and assaulted her. The 49-year-old was later booked into Travis County Jail, where he was charged with third-degree felony assault by strangulation/suffocation and held on $10,000 bail. The university responded by distancing itself from Beard, announcing his indefinite suspension while replacing him with interim coach Rodney Terry.
“Chris and I are deeply saddened that we have brought negative attention upon our family, friends and the University of Texas,” said Beard’s fiancée, Randi Trew, in a statement shared to Tony Plohetski, a local reporter for the Austin Statesman and KVUE. “I apologize for the role I played in this unfortunate event. I realize that my frustration, when breaking his glasses, initiated a physical struggle between Chris and myself. Chris did not strangle me, and I told that to law enforcement that evening.”
Trew’s statement contradicts details found in the police report, claiming Beard bit her, threw her off the bed and choked her while leaving bruises on her leg. Terms of Beard’s release prohibit him from being within 200 yards of Trew or their home in Austin’s Tarrytown neighborhood. The protective order, which remains in effect until February 10th, also stipulates Beard can’t be in possession of a firearm or communicate with Trew over the phone in a “threatening or intimidating manner.” If convicted, Beard could face up to 10 years in prison.
Before joining Texas, his alma mater, in 2021, Beard spent five years at Texas Tech, where he was named AP Coach of the Year in 2019. That year, he led them to the National Championship game, losing to Virginia in overtime. Ranked seventh nationally, the Longhorns haven’t lost in his absence, beating Stanford, Rice and Louisiana in their last three games.
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