Men’s assistant basketball coach Steve Barnes was suspended with pay, effective Thursday, in connection with an intimidating phone call to the family of a basketball player.

It was the second suspension to hit the men’s basketball team this week, following Wednesday’s announcement that head coach Larry Eustachy would be suspended with pay as a result of inappropriate conduct.

Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde made the call to suspend Barnes after a report that Barnes had made an intimidating phone call regarding Eustachy’s suspension. The name of the player had not been released as of press time.

“This is in connection with a telephone call that was made late last night to the family of one of the student-athletes,” said John McCarroll, director of University Relations. “We know the telephone call occurred. We believe that this call clearly is an effort at intimidation.”

McCarroll said Barnes told the family “we need to rally around the coach [Eustachy], and then we need to go after the people that got us.

“We believe it’s a reference to the university, probably the athletics director [Van De Velde] — anyone connected with initiating the action with Coach Eustachy,” McCarroll said.

The phone call was made to the player’s hometown, not to his Ames home, McCarroll said. It was also not known whether it was the only call made to a player’s family regarding Eustachy’s suspension.

“I don’t know that he was singled out,” said McCarroll, in reference to the player whose family received the phone call.

At his home Thursday evening, Eustachy defended Barnes’ actions.

“Things get turned around easy,” Eustachy said.

“He was trying to stick up for me. He’s hurt right now — he doesn’t deserve what’s happened to him.”

Eustachy has three more business days to request an appeal in regards to his suspension.

He said he plans to spend time with his family this weekend and prepare a case for his appeal.

McCarroll did not know Thursday evening whether Barnes would be allowed that same appeal process.

“Coach Barnes has a contract with Iowa State, and we believe he has a duty to conduct himself in a way that’s consistent with the best interest of the student-athletes and the university,” McCarroll said.

“We think that this kind of activity is not at all consistent with that mission. We think it’s inappropriate.”

McCarroll said he had not yet reviewed Barnes’ contract to determine what sort of process he would be allowed.

“Obviously there will be a process, but the important thing is right now he is suspended with pay,” he said.

He also stressed the pressure this week’s situation has put on Iowa State’s student-athletes.

“We protect the welfare of student-athletes,” he said.

“I really can’t imagine the kind of stress this puts on the student-athletes.”

He called Barnes’ phone call inappropriate and unfair.

“We have to speak out against that,” he said. “It’s extremely unfair to put student-athletes and their families in that kind of position, to send that kind of message.”

As of press time, Barnes was not accepting questions.

— Daily Staff Writers P. Kim Bui and Megan Hinds contributed to this article.