With all the rumors put to rest, it is time for Iowa State men’s basketball to get down to business with the team’s new head coach, Larry Eustachy.

After months of speculation over the expected departure of former coach Tim Floyd, it took Athletic Director Gene Smith only one week to find Floyd’s replacement from Utah State.

“It took something extremely special to get me to leave [Utah],” Eustachy said. “We are here because of Ames, the state and also the people. There is nothing like Utah people, but there is nothing like Iowa people.

“I’m very excited about being at Iowa State. I’ve heard that Iowa is the No. 1 place to raise a family in the country, and that is my deal,” he said. Eustachy and his wife Stacy have two sons, Hayden, 6, and Evan, 4.

As the 1998 Big West Conference Coach of the Year, Eustachy led Utah State to 98 wins over the past five seasons, which included a trip to the 1998 NCAA tournament.

His Aggie team won three conference titles and led the nation in rebound margin in both 1994 and 1997. Eustachy has never had a losing record in his eight years as a head coach.

“I don’t know how good this team will be; it played no factor because this is not a stop for me; this is it for me,” the 42-year-old Eustachy said. “There will be shortcuts.”

Eustachy said that while ISU is common ground, the NBA would not be a career option for him.

“This [position] is very long-term,” he said.

Eustachy was an assistant under Floyd during the 1986-87 season at Idaho, and the two have remained friends, with Eustachy making frequent visits and recruiting for Floyd.

The two coaches have similar philosophies about basketball, but Eustachy’s team may try to push the ball a bit more offensively. Eustachy wants to jump right into his new position, familiarizing himself with his current players and utilizing the last days of July by recruiting players in the Midwest.

“I have heard that Iowa people are the most tolerant and most patient people in America, and I’m counting on that for the next year,” Eustachy said. “They’re special [people], very knowledgeable, and they enjoy somebody with some sincerity who puts a respectable product out there, both in the classroom and on the court,” he said.

“I know what this place is about, and I know the popularity of the program and the sincerity of the fans,” Eustachy said.

Before arriving in Utah, Eustachy rolled up a record of 61-33 (.649) as head coach of Idaho. He took the head coaching job in 1990 and led his team to three consecutive winning seasons, including a Big Sky Conference championship in 1993.

Smith first spoke to Eustachy July 24 after Floyd’s resignation on July 22. Eustachy accepted the five-year, $500,000 deal Monday when he arrived in Ames.

“I’m glad we have a new coach,” sophomore Marcus Fizer said. “We don’t know a whole lot about him, but I’m more than willing to find out everything that he has to offer. Myself and my teammates feel that we can play for anybody, and we’re just ready to get things started.

“It’s quite a relief to know every rumor about your coach going to leave is not in your head, so you can concentrate. We’re really looking forward to it. Everyone is excited about coming here, and no one has said that they’re not coming or transferring,” Fizer added.