Documents reveal details of Chris Beard's suspension, termination

In the wake of former Texas men’s basketball coach Chris Beard’s termination for cause on Thursday, the University of Texas released documents revealing messages exchanged between James Davis, the UT vice president for legal affairs, and Perry Minton, who has represented Beard since his arrest on December 12. A letter from Davis categorized Beard’s behavior as unacceptable and that made him “unfit to serve as head coach at our university.”

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In a letter dated January 5, 2023, Minton notified Davis that he wanted to be on record “emphatically stating, herein memorializing, that Coach Beard has not done anything to violate any provision of his contract with the University of Texas. Up until today, I had great solace in the fact that the University has reported to me the fervent desire of the Board of Regents, the President, and the Athletic Director to make decisions based solely upon the facts.”

Minton emphasizes the December 23 statement from Beard’s fiancée in his correspondence.

He also reveals that a conversation prior to the events of January 5 included the detail from Davis that Beard was given the option to resign or be terminated. In addition, Minton states he has been “very grateful that Chris Del Conte has repeatedly reported to our team that he is certain Chris Beard did nothing wrong — and is innocent.”

The decision to terminate obviously came as a shock to Minton. He said in his letter there were no interviews or request for information, and believed there was no grounds for cause. He added: “If Coach Beard is to resign in lieu of termination, I want to discuss with you and restate our position that he be compensated accordingly.”

In the next and final paragraph, Minton expresses Beard’s desire: “He would much prefer to remain the head men’s basketball coach of the University of Texas.”

In response, Davis mentions the unacceptable behavior that makes him unfit to serve and explains Texas “exercised thoughtful restraint to allow time for additional material facts to emerge.” He mentions Del Conte’s support of Beard and the Texas basketball program by supporting this “pause before action and by presuming his innocence while the facts unfolded.”

Davis was quick to note that support was not a determination of Beard’s conduct, saying “it is a mistake to view a manager’s support to an employee as a statement of belief in criminal guilt or innocence.” It also notes whether charges were presented or dropped is “not determinative of whether he engaged in conduct unbecoming a head coach at our university.”

“There seems to be an incorrect underlying assumption that the criminal process outcome dictates Mr. Beard’s employment outcome,” Davis wrote. “But these are different processes, where different decision makers are weighing different factors.”

Finally, Davis balks at some of the content of Minton’s letter.

“Your letter this morning reveals that Mr. Beard does not understand the significance of the behavior he knows he engaged in, or the ensuing events that impair his ability to effectively lead our program. This lack of self-awareness is yet another failure of judgment that makes Mr. Beard unfit to serve as a head coach at our university. For these reasons, the university proceeds to terminate Mr. Beard.”

Del Conte then sent a message via e-mail and registered mail to Beard terminating him pursuant to Section 7(A)(12) of his contract, which is regarding “Suspension or Termination by the University for Cause.” It notes all obligations by Texas to Beard “to make further payment or provide any other consideration will cease as of January 5, 2023.”

Following Beard’s termination, Minton released a statement.

“Chris Beard is crushed at the news he will not be coaching at the University of Texas. At the outset of Coach Beard’s suspension, The University promised they would conduct an independent investigation surrounding the allegations and make a decision regarding his employment only after they had done so. They proceeded to terminate Coach Beard without asking a single question of him or his fiancée. Since the arrest, there have only been positive developments clearly demonstrating his innocence. Additionally, it is my opinion shared by others that any potential charges against Coach Beard will be declined very soon. This is in addition to the statements made by his fiancée that emphatically state that the original reports were inaccurate. I am concerned that the University of Texas has made a terrible decision against the interest of the University, based on Twitter feeds and editorials –and not the facts concerning a truly innocent man. The University has violated their agreement with the coach and we are devastated.”

Beard was arrested on December 12 for assault on a family/household member that impeded breath circulation, a third-degree felony charge. He was suspended indefinitely without pay on that day.

Associate head coach Rodney Terry, who was named acting head coach on December 12, will remain in that role for the remainder of the season according to the university.

Texas is currently 12-2 and ranked No. 6 in the AP Poll. The Longhorns are 5-1 under Terry. Texas plays at Oklahoma State this Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.