PICKENS COUNTY — The former Daniel High School boys basketball coach charged with assaulting a student entered a plea of no contest in a Pickens County courtroom last week.

Terrance “Tony” Christie, 34, entered the plea last Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery in the third degree.

After entering the plea, Christie was sentenced to either pay a fine or serve 30 days in jail.

As part of his plea agreement, Christie is required to permanently surrender his South Carolina Teaching Certificate. He will be barred for life from teaching or volunteering in any South Carolina public school.

Christie was arrested in December on charges of assault and battery in the second degree.

He had been on administrative leave since October.

Christie resigned as DHS boys basketball coach last Thursday.

Warrants alleged that Christie touched the buttocks, and attempted to touch the upper body, of a female student. The student told Christie “No” and then left the room, according to incident reports obtained from the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred in Christie’s classroom in October, the report states.

The school’s resource officer was shown text messages between two students regarding the incident, the report stated.

A former Clemson University basketball player, Christie was hired to coach the Daniel Lions boys basketball team last August. After Christie was placed on administrative leave, Billy Gibson, Daniel’s Junior Varsity coach, was selected to head up the boys basketball program.