Eustachy pleads his case to national radio audience

Larry Eustachy told a national radio audience that he plans to fight for his job as mens’ basketball coach at Iowa State. Cyclone Athletic Director Bruce Vande Velde informed Eustachy on Wednesday that he was being fired as head coach just two days after widely published photos showed him at an all-night drinking party kissing coeds following last season’s loss at Missouri. During the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio, Eustachy was asked if he had done anything wrong that would warrant his dismissal. He says he’s not sure he can answer that question, but says he would like to have a second chance and prove what he can do as a sober person. He says he’s not the one who can judge that. Eustachy has five days to appeal the decision. He says he’s “In love with this place” and says he doesn’t want to hurt it, and he has. He says if he had a chance to make things better, in time, that would be better than the alternative.During a hastily called news conference on Wednesday Eustachy announced that is an alcoholic. He claims that news conference was planned a day ahead and was not arranged after Vande Velde informed him of his dismissal. Eustachy says it’s documented that prior to being told that he would be dismissed, he was going to come forward and say he’s an alcoholic. Eustachy has said Iowa State would be his last coaching stop but that may change is his firing is upheld, he says he would take that back and could see himself coaching again. Eustachy describes his drinking as medication at the end of the day. He says it never affected his coaching and he never drank before a game. He says even when he had a morning practice, he knew how alcohol stays in the system and would not drink very much.