Iowa State Suspends Eustachy

Iowa State men’s basketball Coach Larry Eustachy was suspended Wednesday after acknowledging he is an alcoholic, and the athletic director urged the school to fire him.

Three hours after Eustachy said he has sought treatment but will not resign, Athletic Director Bruce Van De Velde said at a news conference that Eustachy would be suspended with pay and should be replaced.

Eustachy has five days to appeal to the president’s office.

Van De Velde took the action because Eustachy “had engaged in behavior that is inconsistent with his responsibility to conduct himself in a manner that reflects positively on Iowa State University and the university’s athletic programs.”

Van De Velde said he could not comment beyond a prepared statement that he read, and he left without taking questions.

Eustachy’s attorney, Jerry Crawford of Des Moines, would not say if he would appeal on Eustachy’s behalf but would “evaluate all of the options available.”

“He is an enormously talented coach who is facing up to his problem,” Crawford said. “We hope the university will ultimately decide to keep him.”

Eustachy’s admission at a news conference Wednesday came after the Des Moines Register on Monday published photographs of him partying with college students and kissing young women in Missouri.

He apologized to his family and his players.

“It hasn’t been easy for them in the last few days,” he said. “Words can’t express enough the remorse I have, that I’ve brought upon everybody.”

He said he realized he was an alcoholic nearly a month ago, and is seeking help.

Eustachy is under contract through the 2010-11 season and is paid more than $1 million a year. Eustachy is 101-59 in five seasons at Iowa State, including 17-14 last season.

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Bruce Weber agreed to a five-year contract worth $2.5 million to become coach at Illinois. He replaces Bill Self, who became coach at Kansas after Roy Williams left for North Carolina.

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Central Michigan center Chris Kaman, the Mid-American Conference player of the year last season, made himself available for the NBA draft.

Miscellany

Pete Sampras and Venus Williams withdrew from the Italian Open. Sampras gave no reason for his decision. Williams said she wants to avoid playing four consecutive tournaments before the French Open, May 26.

AOL Time Warner Inc. has entered exclusive talks with Dallas businessman David McDavid to sell him the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers.

The Kings’ Ziggy Palffy scored a goal and Slovakia beat Germany, 3-1, in the World Hockey Championship at Turku, Finland.

Gil de Ferran will begin practicing for the Indianapolis 500, his first race since suffering a concussion and fractures to his neck and lower back in a race at Phoenix on March 23.

Passings

Charlie Tolar, a 5-foot-5 running back in the early days of the American Football League, died of cancer Tuesday at League City, Texas. He was 65.