Colorado State places Head Coach Larry Eustachy on administrative leave

Last week, Justin Michael, a former sports director for Colorado State’s student-run newspaper The Rocky Mountain Collegian and current operator of his own sports site, first reported on his blog that the Rams’ Head Coach Larry Eustachy is “being investigated by the athletic department for his conduct.”

That “climate assessment” that Athletic Director Joe Parker decided to have Eustachy’s program undergo has now culminated in the coach being placed on administrative leave by the school, per the Denver Post’s Matt Stephens:

The new actions against Eustachy are another chapter in the career of a coach who has been met with both success and scandal in his time as a Division I head coach. In 2003, he resigned from his job at Iowa State after details surfaced about his behavior at college parties while ISU’s coach.

Just last year, even more details surfaced regarding a prior investigation from CSU officials into Eustachy’s conduct. The Coloradoan’s Matt L. Stephens & Kelly Lyell reported that, according to an investigation in 2013-14, Eustachy verbally and emotionally abused players. They went on to report that “One high-ranking university official recommended Eustachy’s contract be terminated.”

One can view Joe Parker’s statement regarding the newest action against Eustachy in The Collegian:

“I have asked head coach Larry Eustachy to temporarily step away from the men’s basketball program, as he has been placed on administrative leave while we conclude our climate assessment,” Parker said in an email. “We are diligently working through this assessment as expeditiously as possible, understanding the importance of a thorough and fair process. No conclusions have been made.”

This news comes at the tail end of what has been a very underwhelming season for the Rams, who currently sit at 10-14 with a 3-8 record in MWC play.