Men's basketball head coach charged with felony assault in Texas

On Monday, Chris Beard, the head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Texas at Austin, was taken into custody and charged with third-degree criminal assault.

At 12:15 a.m. local time, officers responded to a "disturbance" on the 1900 block of Vista Lane, and Beard was taken into custody, according to the Austin Police Department.

According to the county sheriff's office website, Beard was charged with an assault on a family member or household member by obstructing breath circulation and was taken to the Travis County Jail at 5:18 a.m.

CNN has contacted Beard's legal counsel for a response.

"The University is aware of Chris Beard's position. We're still gathering data and keeping an eye on the legal system "Texas Athletics provided CNN with a statement.

Beard was suspended from the university after his arrest, the university declared Monday night.

"The University takes matters of interpersonal violence involving members of its community seriously," the statement read. "Given the information available, The University has suspended Chris Beard from his position as head coach of Men's Basketball and will withhold his pay until further notice. Associate Head Coach Rodney Terry will serve as acting head coach for tonight's game against Rice."

Currently rated No. 7, the 7-1 Longhorns take on the Rice University Owls on Monday night in Austin.

At Texas, Beard is in his second year as coach. He guided the group to a 22-12 record and a spot in the NCAA tournament the previous season.

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