A guy like Larry Eustachy seems to appreciate second chances.
After he lost his gig at Iowa State for various photos of him partying with co-eds at Missouri after a loss, along with a battle with alcoholism, it took him just a year to land his next Division I gig, that one at Southern Miss.
Now, Eustachy is capping his first season at Colorado State, where he’s led a team with sparse college basketball tradition to an at-large NCAA berth.
With that, the questions about his stay in Fort Collins have begun to be asked. But fans of the Rams shouldn’t worry, at least, Eustachy doesn’t think so.
Jack Graham, Colorado State’s athletic director, also told Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post that no programs have asked to speak with Eustachy about any openings. The Rams are 25-8 and are one of five Mountain West Conference teams to make the Big Dance this season. The 25 wins are a school record.
I’d tend to side with Eustachy here. He was relatively an afterthought after his days in Ames, and was lucky to get the shot he did with Southern Miss. In recent interviews since going to Colorado State, he’s seemed genuinely appreciative of the second chance he’s gotten.
If a team wanted to bring Eustachy aboard from Fort Collins, the coach would owe the school $3.75 million if his left after this season. The price drops by $750,000 each season after.
The Rams, an 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament, will take on 9-seed Missouri in the second round on Thursday.
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