Investigation of coach in preliminary stages

Jill Sederstrom

A felony investigation that may involve ISU assistant men’s basketball coach Randy Brown is ongoing, although no arrests have been made.

Brown, 45, was served with a search warrant last week that was sealed by the Story County Clerk’s Office Monday.

The warrant was sealed due to the “highly sensitive nature” of the information included in the warrant. The warrant was also sealed because the investigation is still in “preliminary stages” and no arrests have been made, according to court records.

The recommendation to seal the search warrant was made by Assistant Story County Attorney Mary Howell Sirna, according to court documents.

Brown could not be reached for comment Thursday by phone or e-mail.

Officials have been unable to comment on the specifics of the case.

ISU Police received a call to assist another agency with an investigation at Hilton Coliseum on Jan. 24.

They responded to the call at about 9:15 that night and completed the assist at 1 a.m.

Jan. 25, according to the ISU Police call log obtained by the Daily.

ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger said he could not confirm or deny whether this call is connected to the Brown case.

Deisinger said he was also unable to say which agency ISU Police assisted.

This call did not appear in the Department of Public Safety’s daily log. Deisinger said it did not appear in the log “because we have no case.”

Al Overbaugh, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Des Moines also said he could not confirm nor deny any information about the investigation.

Brown took a leave of absence from the men’s basketball team on Jan. 29.

“Coach Brown has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons,” Bruce Van De Velde, ISU athletics director, said Saturday night.

John McCarroll, director of University Relations, said Brown’s return would be up to head basketball coach Larry Eustachy and Van De Velde.

Brown has been a coach at Iowa State since 1999. Some of Brown’s duties include on-the-floor coaching, recruiting and scouting future opponents.

He also worked directly with ISU post players on their footwork, offensive moves, and defensive fundamentals.

Not only has Brown coached at Iowa State, he was the head basketball coach at Stetson University from 1995 to 1997.