Updated March 8: Chris Beard is rising because the front-runner for the boys’s basketball head teaching job at Ole Miss, in accordance with ESPN, citing sources. Beard was fired from his place on the University of Texas following a Dec. 12, 2022 arrest.
Chris Beard’s teaching profession will finish when he needs it to, not when another person decides it for him. In America, allegedly biting and strangling a girl in your house isn’t sufficient to maintain a great coach off the sidelines — even when your former employer nonetheless stands by the choice to fireplace you for trigger even after the preliminary costs had been dropped.
According to a report from ESPN, Beard is the main candidate for the boys’s head basketball teaching job at Ole Miss, as either side have been involved. Beard was fired because the University of Texas males’s basketball coach in January on account of a December arrest for a home incident along with his fianceé.
“He just snapped on me and became super violent,” learn the affidavit from Randi Trew — Beard’s fiancée. “He choked me, threw me off the bed, bit me, bruises all over my leg, throwing me around, and going nuts.”
“Coach Beard is 100 percent innocent of these charges,” his lawyer Perry Minton, advised the Austin American-Statesman, after the arrest.
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Weeks later, she was singing a distinct tune.
“Chris and I are deeply saddened that we have brought negative attention upon our family, friends, and the University of Texas, among others. As Chris’ fiancée and biggest supporter, 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,” she shared within the assertion.
“Chris did not strangle me, and I told that to law enforcement that evening. Chris has stated that he was acting in self-defense, and I do not refute that. I do not believe Chris was trying to intentionally harm me in any way. It was never my intent to have him arrested or prosecuted. We appreciate everyone’s support and prayers during this difficult time,” she defined.
After the fees had been dropped, Beard supplied an announcement:
“I am pleased with the announcement that the charges against me have been dismissed,” Beard mentioned. “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. 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.”
Beard’s profession is way from over
But, as anticipated, Beard’s profession is way from over. There are totally different units of guidelines for males like Beard, particularly relating to teaching — particularly in school basketball.
Beard burst onto the nationwide scene when he took Texas Tech to the nationwide championship sport in 2019. In a season that many will keep in mind for being highlighted by a Duke group that featured Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Tre Jones, it was Beard’s underdog Red Raiders that had been a number of possessions away from profitable a nationwide title in this system’s first-ever Final Four look, as they fell to Virginia in extra time. Since then, Beard has been one of many hottest names in school basketball. After two extra profitable seasons in Lubbock, UT employed him to carry their program again to glory. It labored.
But, this column isn’t about Texas basketball. It’s about how historical past has proven us that Beard gained’t be out of labor lengthy.
College basketball is such a marvel that it owns this complete month — March. No different sport can hold America’s consideration span for that lengthy. However, school basketball can also be a sport during which head coaches have a ton of energy. And in the event you’re good — and white — followers and athletic administrators will drink copious quantities of an elixir referred to as “Oh, that thing was completely overblown. Give the guy another chance,” which can give them handy amnesia a few coach’s alleged sins whereas additionally permitting them to recollect how helpful that very same coach is relating to profitable video games.
Here’s an inventory of school basketball head coaches who nonetheless one way or the other have jobs, had been in a position to hold theirs after a scandal, or can be employed once more sooner or later.
𑇐 Greg Gard (Wisconsin) — A 12 months after firing a workers member for utilizing the N-word (which led to one of many group’s few Black gamers transferring), Gard nearly had a group mutiny on his palms. He adopted that up by beginning a brawl with Juwan Howard and Michigan throughout a postgame handshake line and got here out of it wanting like a sufferer. He’s nonetheless employed.
𑇐 Greg McDermott (Creighton) — Last 12 months the Bluejays’ head coach should have been falling asleep to Django Unchained as he did his finest reenactment of a slave proprietor. “Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can’t have anybody leave the plantation,” McDermott advised his group. The college suspended him for 5 seconds and shortly put the state of affairs within the rearview. He’s nonetheless employed.
𑇐 Gregg Marshall (Wichita State) — In 2020 we discovered that the Shockers coach is a maniac — as a former assistant described him — after it was alleged that he choked considered one of his assistants, punched a participant, body-slammed one other, and made enjoyable of a 3rd athlete’s Native American heritage. There was a prolonged investigation, however Marshall didn’t get fired. Instead, he simply resigned and received a contract settlement of $7.75 million.
𑇐 Mark Few (Gonzaga) — Last 12 months TMZ launched a video of the Zags’ head coach from when he was arrested for a DUI. Few was drunk and irritated and acted as if the police had been beneath him. The footage exhibits Few refusing to do area sobriety checks, as he claimed they’re “totally subjective.” He pled responsible to misdemeanor DUI, was suspended for a number of video games, and the state of affairs instantly blew over. He’s nonetheless employed.
𑇐 Will Wade (LSU) — LSU’s former coach was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing how he paid gamers. Everybody heard it and he nonetheless went to work on daily basis. LSU suspended, then in the end fired Wade after NCAA violations got here down in opposition to him and his program, in a transfer that advised that LSU was going to disregard federal proof till the NCAA determined to punish the college. He’s not employed, however don’t be shocked when he will get employed once more.
𑇐 Sean Miller (Xavier) — Earlier this week it was introduced that Miller wasn’t going to be sanctioned by the NCAA’s Independent Resolution Panel from the fallout of what came about when he was at Arizona. Miller and Arizona had been a part of the FBI’s investigation into the game, and it was alleged that he was paying DeAndre Ayton out of his personal pocket. Miller has persistently denied paying gamers. As you’ll be able to see, Miller is teaching at Xavier like nothing occurred.
𑇐 Rick Pitino (Iona) — Pitino has had allegations and violations in opposition to him since he was an assistant coach at Hawaii within the 1970s. He’s nonetheless teaching.
And final however not least, Mark Adams — the person who changed Beard at Texas Tech — is beneath suspension for “racially insensitive” feedback as he advised considered one of his gamers that there’s “always a master and a servant.”
There’s a lot extra to Beard’s story that we’ll by no means know. However, a faculty wanting to rent him within the aftermath of what allegedly came about at Texas was as predictable as a Tyler Perry manufacturing.
The mixture of Chris Beard’s expertise and whiteness was all the time going to avoid wasting his profession. Why? Because, sadly sufficient, somebody at Ole Miss — or some place else — will rent him as a result of they care extra about his suffocating defenses than the truth that he allegedly tried to suffocate his fianceé.