Former University of Texas (UT) Longhorns men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard is no longer facing charges on alleged domestic violence, according to a report from Austin ABC affiliate KVUE.
Travis County District Attorney (DA) Jose Garza elected to drop the charges against Beard on Wednesday, a few days before the latter turned 50.
Authorities arrested and charged Beard in December with physically assaulting his fiancée.
Per KVUE, he had been facing a third-degree felony charge, and UT terminated him at the beginning of this year.
The station reported that the purported victim, identified as Randi Trew, released a statement insisting her fiancé acted in self-defense, and she didn’t want him arrested.
"After a careful and thorough review of the evidence, recent public statements and considering Ms. Trew’s wishes, our office has determined that the felony offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," Garza’s office explained, KVUE reported.
Beard, who guided the Longhorns to a 7-1 record to begin their 2022-2023 campaign, said in a statement of his own that he was “pleased with the announcement,” ESPN reported.
“While I always had faith and confidence in the truth and this outcome, it has been extremely challenging to wait patiently and not publicly respond,” he said. "I'm sorry and deeply remorseful to my family, friends, all my players and staff both most recent and past, and everyone at my alma mater The University of Texas, including the fans and supporters who were affected by this situation.”
Beard expressed gratitude toward those who, he said, supported him “during this difficult time.”
KVUE reported that Perry Q. Minton, an attorney who represented Beard, was also pleased with the DA’s decision, describing it as “not common.”
“This district attorney has a well-earned reputation for being very tough regarding domestic violence cases,” Minton said, the station reported. “The fact that Mr. Garza’s review resulted in this determination says a lot.”
Rodney Terry was promoted to the head coaching position in the wake of the situation.
As of Monday, UT possessed a 21-4 overall record and a 10-4 conference mark after edging out the University of Oklahoma (OU) 85-83 at home on Saturday.