Chris Beard was suspended indefinitely without pay after his arrest on a felony charge of strangling his fiance.
Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard was highly complimentary of No. 5 Alabama in his postgame news conference. His words cut two ways.
Highlights
- No. 21 Ole Miss upsets No. 4 Alabama, Chris Beard leads Rebels to first road win vs. a top-five team.
- Police officers caught Chris for assaulting his fiance, Randi Trew.
- Chris was married to his ex-wife, Leslie Beard, owner of a jewelry store, Space.
Shortly after the No. 21 Rebels notched a 74-64 win at Alabama on Tuesday, Beard praised Alabama coach Nate Oats’ team as an elite one.
Considering the on-court result, Beard’s praises highlighted his players’ accomplishments.
The Rebels (15-2, 4-0 SEC) are the first road team to beat Alabama (14-3, 3-1) this season.
Ole Miss’ win was historical. The Rebels had never before beaten a team ranked inside the top five of the AP Poll on the board. Beard said,
“Maybe it’s time to talk a little bit about Ole Miss,”
Chris Beard
Beard said he didn’t say that in a self-promoting way. He was the first to acknowledge that the season was still young.
Still, he said Ole Miss had earned the respect that perhaps it wasn’t getting nationally. Beard added,
“I do think my job is to take up for my team a little bit,” “Tonight, two really good teams played and I think most of the national scene didn’t give Ole Miss much of a chance. Our players believed that we could be successful in this game and that’s what we did.”
Chris Beard
Ole Miss was projected between a No. 5 and 6 seed in NCAA tournament projections before the game.
A whopping 21-7 positive turnover margin and another big performance from Mailk Dia (23 points, 19 rebounds) sealed the Ole Miss win. Beard told,
“If you’re going to win a big boy game, and this was a first-place type game, you have to have some special performances,” “Dia, the basket opened up for him tonight. He really rebounded the ball. Lots of good things from our angle.”
Chris Beard
Randi Trew Said She Never Wanted Chris Beard To Be Prosecuted
Chris Beard was engaged to Randi Trew, a former Texas Tech Volleyball player and the head coach at Frenship High School.
As per various reports, they are no longer engaged. On December 12, 2022, Beard was arrested on a 3rd-degree felony charge of assault against Randi Trew.
According to the police report, Beard’s fiancee Randi told them Beard “choked me, bit me bruises all over my leg, throwing me around, and going nuts,” consistent with bite marks on her arm and cuts on her face and leg.
Beard was subsequently suspended without pay by the University of Texas.
Later, Randi claimed that Beard was acting in self-defense and that he never strangled her, stating.
“As Chris’ fiance 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. 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.”
Randi Trew
Beard was fired from his position at the University of Texas on January 5, 2023.
On February 15, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza announced that he likely could not get a conviction based on the case evidence and the fiancee’s wish not to prosecute.
However, the third-degree felony charge and the threat of up to 10 years in prison were dismissed.
Chris Beard Was Married To Leslie Beard, A Graduate Of McCullough High School
Before getting engaged to Randi Trew, Chris Beard married Leslie Beard on August 31, 1996, in Montgomery County, Texas.
Leslie, 50, was born on June 21, 1974, and graduated from McCullough High School in The Woodland.
As per the reports, Leslie is a former college basketball player who played for the Texas Tech Lady Raiders and was a starting guard for the team.
Leslie helped them reach the NCAA Tournament in 1993.
She holds her business world as the owner of a luxury jewelry store space. The couple had three daughters: Ella Beard, Avery Beard, and Margo Beard.
After several years of marriage, the couple separated while their children, under joint custody, mostly lived with their mother, Leslie.
Additional Information
- Chris Beard has an estimated net worth of around $5 million as of 2025.
- The University of Mississippi named Beard its new men’s Basketball coach on March 13, 2023. ESPN quoted Beard as saying, “I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university.”
- In 2019, the Red Raiders won a school-record 31 games on the way to the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship game against the Virginia Cavaliers.
