Video by Sam Lounsberry
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – CSU basketball coach Larry Eustachy’s return to the state of Iowa was apparently quite highly anticipated.
In his first game in the state since leaving the head coaching job at Iowa State in 2003, Eustachy and his Rams got the job done with a win against Northern Iowa, and did so in front of some of the coach’s most devout followers and even a dear friend.
In the post-game press conference, Eustachy sat down and waited for questions, but before any reporters asked one, he noticed a familiar woman standing in the back of the room. It turned out to be a former colleague from Iowa State. A smile appeared on Eustachy’s face, and he even stood up to hug the old acquaintance before resuming the press conference, as seen in the video.
A decently sized contingent of Ram fans – and perhaps more specifically, Eustachy fans – sat behind CSU’s bench Saturday, filling several rows of the McLeod Center with green and gold. The families of senior forward Tiel Daniels and freshman guard Prentiss Nixon were in attendance.
Prior to tipoff, another couple sporting CSU gear entered the McLeod Center, but not to watch any players. Rather, they were there specifically to see Eustachy in his return to the state, as they had been supporters of the coach since his days at ISU.
“My husband is a huge Larry Eustachy fan,” the woman said.
While calling winning in his return to the Hawkeye State “overrated,” Eustachy still later admitted to having great appreciation for Iowa State and its fans.
“Deep down, I really am a Cyclone,” he said. “I would rather live in Fort Collins right now where I’ve found myself and I love my job, but it’s just a special place to me, Iowa State.”
Sam Lounsberry can be reached at sports@collegian.com and on Twitter @samlounz.
