Larry Eustachy resigns as Colorado State head coach amid abusive behavior allegations

Colorado State men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy has resigned, according to the Denver Post. The school has reached a settlement with Eustachy that will pay him $750,000 to leave his contract.

Eustachy was placed on administrative leave by the school in early February amid allegations of abusive behavior.. The two decided to part ways for good earlier this month, but had been working on a settlement before his exit could be complete.

This months a month-long saga for the Rams basketball program. The way the school handled Eustachy’s dismissal led players to boycott practice because they had to find out the news on Twitter. The players also didn’t appear to like assistant coach Steve Barnes, Eustachy’s long-time right hand man. Barnes was suspended after two games as players complained he mimicked Eustachy’s style.

30-year-old assistant Jase Herl is the new interim coach.

“I have asked head coach Larry Eustachy to temporarily step away from the men’s basketball program, as he has been temporarily placed on administrative leave while we conclude our climate assessment,” Parker said in a statement. “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. Associate head coach Steve Barnes has agreed to assume head coaching responsibilities for tonight’s game against Nevada, and until the assessment is complete.”

It was reported earlier this week that Colorado State officials were conducting an internal investigation focused on Eustachy’s conduct with players, assistant coaches and other staff members. A similar investigation conducted in 2013-14 resulted in claims that the head coach had fostered a “culture of fear and intimidation.”

Though that investigation, which included interviews of 14 players and staff members, stated that Eustachy should be fired, Colorado State president Tony Frank ultimately concluded that the findings were not enough to justify termination.

Despite the news breaking of a second investigation, Eustachy was confident as recently as Friday that his job was not in any sort of jeopardy. According to a report from the Denver Post, Eustachy told his players that his job was safe and that he had been directly told as much by President Frank.

Eustachy is in the middle of his sixth season at Colorado State. He led the Rams to the second round of the NCAA tournament in his first year on the job, but has not been able to get back to the Big Dance since. His current team owns an overall record of 11-19 and is 4-13 in Mountain West play.

Eustachy is still likely best-known for being fired from his job as the head coach at Iowa State after pictures of him drinking and kissing co-eds at a University of Missouri fraternity party surfaced in 2003. He then spent eight seasons as the head coach at Southern Mississippi before leaving for the same gig at Colorado State.