Rodney Terry named Longhorns' acting head coach after Beard's firing
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas men's basketball associate head coach Rodney Terry has been named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season after Chris Beard was fired Thursday, UT officials announced.
“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. We thank Coach Rodney Terry for his exemplary leadership both on and off the court at a time when our team needed it most. We are grateful he will remain the acting head coach for the remainder of the season. We are proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, who throughout this difficult time have continued to make us proud to be Longhorns,” Del Conte wrote in the release.
Who is Rodney Terry?
Terry's previous title with the Longhorns was associate head coach. He's now taking over a unique situation, but a head coaching position isn't a new spot for the coach with 27 years of college experience.
Terry assumed head coaching duties for Dec. 12's game against Rice, the same day head coach Chris Beard was arrested. Beard was arrested by Austin Police after he was accused of biting and choking his fiancée, according to an APD arrest affidavit.
At that time, the university hadn't decided on an interim head coach and said Terry was the acting head coach for that game, an 87-81 overtime win over the Owls at the Moody Center.
In six games with Terry as acting head coach, Texas is 5-1 with its lone loss coming at home against Kansas State Tuesday night. The Longhorns were ranked No. 6 in the country in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.
Rodney Terry's coaching history
Terry is no stranger to being a head coach. Previously he served as head coach for UTEP and Fresno State before joining the staff at Texas last year. From 2018-21, he guided the Miners and spent seven years at the helm of Fresno State from 2011-18.
Terry was an assistant coach on Rick Barnes’ Texas staff from 2002 to 2011.
Chris Beard fired
Beard, who was hired by UT after coaching five years at Texas Tech, leaves the program with a 29-13 record over part of two seasons. He led Texas Tech to the National Championship game in 2019, losing to Virginia.
Beard’s case related to the third-degree felony remains pending in a pre-indictment stage, according to Travis County District Clerk records.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office released a statement on the case Thursday.
“The matter is still under review, and our prosecutors are evaluating all of the evidence, including recent statements and all evidence collected by law enforcement. Our office takes all allegations of domestic violence seriously; in each case, we are committed to working through the unique challenges presented,” the statement reads.