Larry Eustachy lost his pride and his job. Iowa State lost almost a million bucks. Cyclone fans lost their basketball coach.

So now Bruce Van De Velde, Iowa State’s athletic director, is making telephone calls and setting up appointments.

And it’s time for everyone involved to work together and get the Cyclone basketball ship afloat.

One of Van De Velde’s calls will likely be to Omaha. Another will likely be to Laramie, Wyo.

Omaha is where Dana Altman does business at Creighton. Laramie is where Steve McClain coaches basketball at the University of Wyoming.

Those are the two main names out there as Van De Velde begins the task of replacing Eustachy, who said he was resigning—but actually was fired—as Iowa State’s coach today.

To me, Iowa State got the better deal.

For a buyout of $960,000, Iowa State got rid of Eustachy, who had eight years left on a contract that paid him $1.1 million a season, and had become an embarrassment to the university.

Eustachy gets $110,000 for the rest of 2003 and $850,000 on Jan. 1, 2004.

"This decision now allows our basketball program to move forward and supports Mr. Eustachy and his family in his struggle with alcohol," Iowa State president Dr. Greg Geoffroy said.

As a wise old guy once said, "Make sure nobody takes pictures."

All of us know now that the pictures were taken. And processed.

So now Eustachy, who has already described himself as an alcoholic, will do his basketball coaching elsewhere. At 47, he has many 20-victory seasons left. He’s a talented coach. He’ll do well.

Just a bit of advice, Larry. Travel with the team from now on. Don’t drink anything—not even Diet Pepsi--with the students. Don’t kiss the girls. And keep your pledge that you’re through drinking alcohol.

It’ll kill you if you don’t.

Van De Velde has been less popular than Eustachy in the past week, but Geoffroy went out of his way to send support in the athletic department boss’s direction today.

Unless someone knows something I don’t, Van De Velde’s job is secure. People don’t have to campaign to get Gary Thompson the job.

Now Van De Velde can proceed with the business of finding a replacement for Eustachy, who has been Iowa State’s coach for five seasons.

He’s a no-nonsense, hard-working guy who has done well at a mid-major university from the Missouri Valley Conference.

Altman didn’t do well when he coached at Kansas State, and that will likely send up a red flag to some Iowa State boosters.

On the other hand, all of us should assume that he has become a better coach since leaving K-State.

Altman was interested in the recent coaching openings at Georgia and Illinois, and was interviewed. He seemed to have his foot in the door for the Illinois job, but for some reason things did not work out for him.

Maybe they’ll work out at Iowa State.

If, of course, he’s interested.

Then there’s McClain, a native of Orient, Ia., who has built a strong program at Wyoming.

But 20-victory seasons at Wyoming don’t necessarily mean McClain will have 20-victory seasons at Iowa State against the likes of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State.

Whether Cyclone fans like to hear it or not, Hilton Magic is no longer what it was when Johnny Orr coached in Ames.

It wasn’t even the same when Tim Floyd coached there. It certainly wasn’t the same when Eustachy coached there.

And they won a lot of games.

I’d hate to say Van De Velde needs to hire a showman like Orr. But it wouldn’t hurt.

A showman who can coach.

That’s what Iowa State needs.

Altman?

McClain?

I don’t know.

That’s why they pay Van De Velde the big bucks. It’s his call.