Nets Hire Howard’s Beard, 47

Butch Beard returned to the New Jersey Nets as their new coach on Tuesday, replacing Chuck Daly, who resigned after the club’s quick exit from the NBA playoffs.

Beard, 47, has spent the last four seasons as the coach at Howard University, where he had a 45-69 record. The former Net assistant led the Bisons to an NCAA tournament berth in 1992, only the second in the history of the Washington, D.C., school.

Beard was a Net assistant under Willis Reed in 1988-89 and remained in that position thenext season under Bill Fitch.

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Charles Barkley, who frequently hinted at retirement while leading the Phoenix Suns to the NBA playoffs, said he will return for another shot at the championship despite a back injury.

Barkley said he was committed to a rigorous course of therapy his doctors say he must undergo to strengthen his back. Retiring now, Barkley said in Phoenix, would be the lazy way out.

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A federal judge in Minneapolis signed a temporary restraining order prohibiting Top Rank of Louisiana from interfering with the sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves to any other group.

The order clears the way for negotiators to complete a deal for local sale of the NBA team.

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A federal judge in New York granted the NBA Players Assn.’s request for a restraining order to prevent the signing of any contracts between teams and players at least until after a July 8 hearing.

The union hopes its lawsuit leads to an eventual abolition of the league’s salary cap and the draft, making every player selected today a free agent.

Football

All-Pro center Mark Stepnoski of the Dallas Cowboys might sign with the San Francisco 49ers, the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reported.. . . . Florida Coach Steve Spurrier has signed a two-year contract extension. . . . The Las Vegas Posse has received the Canadian Football League rights to Heisman Trophy quarterback Charlie Ward of Florida State. . . . The Cotton Bowl Athletic Assn. voted unanimously to keep the traditional New Year’s Day game at the state fairgrounds.

Motor Sports

Although Nigel Mansell insisted his return to Formula One racing for the French Grand Prix on Sunday would be only a guest appearance, his boss for the weekend, Frank Williams, is doing everything possible to make it a full-time comeback. Williams, head of the Williams-Renault team, said he also hoped to have Mansell for three late-season races, after Mansell’s Indy car season is over.

Track and Field

Ron Allice, whose teams won 11 state championships during his 16 years at Long Beach City College, has become coach of the recently-consolidated USC men’s and women’s track teams. Current coaches Jim Bush and Barbara Edmondson will remain on the staff, working with the men’s and women’s teams, respectively.

Former Olympian Ruth Wysocki and 10 other elite runners will compete tonight in the Union Bank Heart of the City five-kilometer run, starting at 7 at 5th and Figueroa streets.

Miscellany

Trainer Susan Hutchison of the Flintridge Riding Club near Pasadena has earned one of four berths on the U.S. equestrian team, which will compete in the Netherlands in the the World Equestrian Games in August. . . . Nearly six months after Nancy Kerrigan was assaulted, the U.S. Figure Skating Assn. will begin a disciplinary hearing today for Tonya Harding.