I know less than most of you and have purposely not followed this story closely outside of cracking wise on this thread. But I do know because the Managing Partner of the large firm that handles a huge portion of UT's outside counsel work with Jim, this other guy gets loose lips after several drinks. And he handles mainly athletics contracts and IP for UT. They brought him in to help find cause to shitcan Herman awhile back. anyway, he tells me that their firm has been asked to figure out what a termination of contract would look like for cause, indictment, civil case filed against Beard, etc. All the different permutations for how this goes sideways for UT and Beard. To cover all bases, MP asks for their thought process on keeping Beard on (suspended with pay, without pay, indefinitely, rest of academic budget year, etc.---all the shit you guys have been contemplating). Well, that side of it was shifted to outside counsel at another firm oF UT's. and their Managing Partner? You guessed it, Frank Stallone. I jest
But nothing shocking here, they've got one firm working the angle of "IF, IF, IF we keep Beard...what does that look like?" and another working the "how do end this in the very, very near future...days/weeks not weeks/months. Both firms are notoriously over-billers even for white shoe shops. So they could drag this out but Jim and Jay have put their foot down and said they're decision is coming imminently and any dragging out by these two firms (most of you know one or both of them) will result in a termination of relationship at next retainer expiration. So I have a feeling they know what they want to do, just a matter of due diligence that helps the narrative that they covered all their bases.
Again, nothing very insightful...just confirmation from lots and lots of higher-up lawyers actually working the case that this outcome is looking like it comes out on one binary outcome or the other, but soon. I don't see them keeping him under contract without pay and suspended from running the team until start of next budget year (8/31 or 9/1) as some sort of compromise much as these attorneys would like to see that happen. I think this is all resolved by mid-January at the latest. Plus, there's the calendar realities of hoops-can't hire anybody away in January, got another signing period few months away, NIL cash that doesn't want to stay in limbo over players bolting early, etc.
Last two anecdotal things:
-one regent I spoke with who is the most die-hard Longhorn sports fan outside of maybe Eltife...they absolutely want this resolved one way or the other before their February meeting. That much cash, one way or the other, plus interim coach bumps is not wanted on their discussion points. Obviously they don't want bad PR blowback if turns out Beard is a serial abuser. But I bet dollars to donuts Sharphorn already has a back-channel idea of what this is already looking like legally. That guy's been around major, major athletics fallout shit for decades going back to Michigan. I doubt he doesn't know what's what. This reinforces the messaging this could still go either way but it goes away within a month, at most. There is no limbo option, or if there is they're being coy to overbill and underdeliver.
-Former UT in house GC should be at our dinner tonight, she still works closely with Jim's office. I am nowhere near as good at casually eliciting information when sober but she and I have had wonderful conversations about the inside baseball stuff at UT after some wine (no breach of her oath or anything). I am going to try my level best to see what's what, but I'm not as good at conversation sober. My plan is to wind somebody else up to ask her some shit and see what happens.
tl;dr Almost everyone's opinion and insight here could happen. I just feel like they're gonna rip the bandaid off soon and keep him back on the bench but leave it to him to fund PR/outreach/making nice with the woman/etc.) or he's gone with no backpay and as he litigates himself into the fucking ground versus UT and the woman, and picks up at some mid-major/D2 school in a few years time. I don't see the Coach Terry with "Offensive Analyst" volunteer Chris Beard for 3 more months with a chance to earn backpay in the summer. But lawyers lie and shooters shoot.