ISU Athletic Director says coach should go

Larry Eustachy has been fired as the head basketball coach at Iowa State after a dramatic afternoon in Ames that included two news conferences. Eustachy held an early afternoon news conference to announce he is an alcoholic and Eustachy said he would not resign. Eustachy, however, already knew he had been fired by Cyclone Athletic Director Bruce Vande Velde.Van de Velde says at 10:30 Wednesday morning, a university lawyer told Eustachy’s attorney that the Athletic Director intended to terminate him. Vande Velde says Eustachy will have a chance to appeal the decision.Van de Velde’s recommendation was sent to Dr. Tahira Hira, executive assistant to the ISU president, and coach Eustachy has five days to request a hearing before Dr. Hira. Eustachy is suspended with pay, pending resolution of the appeal. Wednesday’s developments came just two days after widely-published pictures showed Eustachy at an all-night drinking party with co-eds at Missouri following Iowa State’s loss in Columbia this past season. Vande Velde says they have received additional reports regarding Eustachy’s conduct. Van de Velde says the coach has admitted he used poor judgement that caused “profound embarassment” to ISU and the athletic department.