We begin KTV news at 6:00
with breaking news from the
University of Texas tonight.
Less than a month after being charged
with felony domestic violence,
Texas men's head basketball coach Chris
Beard has been fired by the university.
Thanks for being with us tonight.
I'm Brian May
and I'm quite Culpepper.
Chris Beard is officially out of a job.
The men's basketball coach has been
erased from the team's website and
will not finish the current season.
We have team coverage tonight on
beards released from the university.
Senior reporter Tony Poletski is looking
at the legal side of things for us,
but we begin tonight with Sports
director Jeff Jones live outside the
Moody Center on the UT Austin campus.
Jeff, what is the latest?
You know, guys,
it became official around 1:30 PM.
Chris Beard after a year and
about 1/4 here in in Austin,
the Chris Beard era has come to a close.
I actually spoke to some fans earlier
who said that they wanted this
decision to come down 24 days ago,
on the very first day when Beard was
arrested and charged with that charge
of felony family domestic violence.
Now, the university let us know
this afternoon that it exercised,
quote, thoughtful restraint while
waiting for material facts to emerge.
As those facts came to light,
the school determined.
Words actions did not meet the
standards set for a UT head coach.
Beard's team sent a letter to the
school describing the former coach as a,
quote, innocent party.
That letter also states he wants
to be compensated because they
don't believe charges will ever
be brought against him and they
believe he was fired without cause.
Now that's their take on the situation.
UT's legal team has a
completely different take.
Their response came with this
statement that read in part.
Mr.
Beard's fitness for service is
not contingent on whether he is
also convicted of a particular.
Crime or whether those charges
are dismissed at some point.
Now whether this termination is with
or without cause will end up being
a multi million dollar decision
and it's a decision that it appears
UT has the legal upper leg on.
We actually have a copy of Chris
Beards employment contract right
now and this is what Texas is
going to lean on in this case,
in this argument that could go to court
and right here in the suspensions
and termination section line 12 is
is exactly what they're referencing.
It basically tells us that the team can.
Buy your beard if he,
quote,
shows any conduct that the university
administration reasonably determines
its clearly unbecoming of a head coach.
And today the team tells us that what
Beard has done so far and what he's
been accused of meets that standard.
Later in the show,
we're going to take a look
forward and tell you how today's
decision will impact things from a
basketball perspective and who will
lead the team from here on out.
Queen and Brian
gave you sports director Jeff Jones
live on the UT campus. Jeff, thanks.
We'll check in with you again in
just a few minutes. From now.
Chris Beard was hired at Texas from
Texas Tech just over a year ago after
Shaka Smart left for a job at Marquette,
Beard had a $5 million annual salary.
The university now does not intend
to pay that since he has been fired,
they say for cause.
Beard led Texas to a 22 and
12 record last year.
They were seven and one under
beard this year before he was
suspended back in December.
Now Beard appears to be
trying to fight this decision
and senior reporter Tony Pluhowsky has been.
Speaking with his attorney all afternoon and
Tony, what did the attorney have to say?
Pushing back definitely in
the court of public opinion,
Chris Beard saying that the termination
against him through his attorney
says that the coach is crushed
and that UT made the decision.
And this is a point that he
emphasizes without ever talking
to Chris Beard or his fiance.
Today's firing came a little more
than three weeks after Beard's
arrest and a home in Tarrytown.
Austin Police responded to a 911.
Hall and police said his fiance
told officers that he had
strangled and bitten her.
Several weeks later, though,
that woman, her name is Randy True,
released a statement saying that
Beard may have been defending himself,
did not strangle her,
and that she never wanted
him arrested or prosecuted.
In a statement today,
UT Athletic director Chris Del Conte said,
quote, 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.
Now, Austin tourney attorney Perry Minton,
who represents Beard,
responded with a statement saying that,
quote,
I am concerned that the University of
Texas has made a terrible decision
against the interest of the university.
Again,
as we first reported yesterday,
the District Attorney's Office here
in Travis County says it is still
evaluating the case and whether or
not it will go forward in court,
but again.
If we have been mentioning that is
a process that could happen quickly
or not as prosecutors look at
all of the evidence in this case.
And again as I mentioned at 5,
keep in mind of course that the
administrative decision made by the
University of Texas is completely
separate from anything that may
happen in the criminal
justice system. Important to note
that and important to note that we
haven't heard the last of the story
from the university versus Beard side
and the legalities issues as well.
That's right, exactly.
Thanks, Tony. Thank you, Tony.
Senior reporter Tony Blair.