Suspended Iowa State men's basketball coach Larry Eustachy and his wife, Stacy, conducted a press conference Wednesday afternoon in the Scheman Building at the Iowa State Center. Following is a transcript of the majority of the press conference with some questions near the end of it not included.

I’d like to start with a tremendous apology. To Governor Vilsack, the board of regents, President Geoffroy, Bruce Van De Velde, the faculty at Iowa State, certainly the student body, the Cyclone national fan base for the tremendous embarrassment that I’ve created. And most important, to the lady sitting right next to me, Stacy, my two boys Hayden and Evan, my immediate family, which includes our players for sure. It hasn’t been easy for them the last few days. Again, words can’t express the remorse I have, that’s I’ve brought upon everybody. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to apologize enough. I really don’t.

Yesterday, I decided to tell my story. All the way to the point where I got on a plane sober for the first time in 25 years. I’m an alcoholic. I have not been recruiting, I have not been in a rehab center. I have been out of state seeking counseling. I have been alcohol-free now for the last couple of weeks. I realized I was an alcoholic nearly a month ago and I’m certainly addressing the situation now as soon as tonight and for the rest of my life I will seek counseling for this illness.

I’ve always said that this would be my last job in coaching. And it will be, one way or the other. I love this place, we love Ames, we love Iowa, I know again that I’ve vastly disappointed the people in Iowa and I will live with that forever. But I’m in a forward movement in my life if you will and it’s an exciting time for me individually. I’ve been selfish for a long, long time and it’s created tremendous ramifications. But I’m starting to find myself and with that I find a family and the people around me and really, really starting to form much better relationships.

I have no excuses for my behavior. I stand here sitting in front of you as I am for what I’ve done. We’ll see what happens in the future but I’m looking forward to the future as a sober person. I don’t use those words lightly.

I’d like to say something to President Geoffroy, Bruce Van De Velde, the regents, all of the Cyclone fans and most importantly our boys. Not just Hayden and Evan but our Iowa State boys. I just want to tell you, I love this man. I love my husband. He’s a good man and he has the biggest heart. He’s a kind and loving father. But you know we’ve learned he has a condition. He’s an alcoholic. I am so relieved and proud of him that he came to that conclusion. He sought help and he’s committed to continue help. I’m totally behind him a hundred percent. I’m totally behind this man. And you know what? He’s just a man. He’s a human being like everybody in here. He makes mistakes like you all do. Like I have. But he stepped up to the plate and he made himself accountable and that’s a great example to our kids.

If he was my son, God I’d forgive him. I’d put my arms around him and I’d support him. And I’d give him a hell of a second chance. After all he’s achieved in his life and at Iowa State in five years. Can you imagine what he’d be capable of doing after attacking this condition? He’s given his heart and soul for five years and so have I and our kids and loved every second of it. And I just want to say thanks to everybody…everybody. We love you all. That’s all I want to say.

Why don’t we just open it up for questions to me…

Well I won’t resign. It’s not my way and I won’t. I don’t control those things. I believe in second chances, I do. But time will tell.

There was a situation that I had too much alcohol and home and Stacy brought it to my attention and for the first time it hit home. It really did. And again in the selfish mode of what I was in it hit home and it was shortly addressed but just kind of band-aided. The season kept going. I addressed it after the season. Procrastinated and procrastinated but, oh I want to say three or three-and-a-half weeks ago I was diagnosed by a professional as an alcoholic. What I would do is when the day was over, whenever that was – it might be after practice or it might be after a game, obviously, it might be in the hotel room – I would drink. When the day was over. When my obligations were done to the team in a working manner. And I can’t have two or three beers. I’ve got to have 10 or 12 and when I do that, you see a side of me that is well documented. That’s not who I am. That’s not what I want to be. But I am making no excuses. I’m where I’m at because of what I’ve done. Make no mistake about it. I’m very clear about that. Very clear about that. So again we go forward.

On Monday, I talked to President Geoffrey and told him that again I was an alcoholic and that I was seeking treatment out of state. And he was great, very supportive and wished me luck. I’ve had dialogue with Bruce Van De Velde today. Nothing specific.

I can only tell you that I’m not going to resign. I won’t resign is the best way to put it. I won’t do that. I can only tell you I won’t.

Just like I did right now. Together, together. On a conference call. Individually. I tell you, you asked what really triggered it, was oh three or three and a half weeks ago when I had a meeting with Jared Homan. We talked about his involvement with alcohol. And when he left I felt like the biggest hypocrite. Which I was. I was a hypocrite. So I’ve told them who I am, what I am. How I’m addressing it. They understood that this is an issue outside of them and never involved them. Well, it did involve them deeply. But not on a face-to-face basis but it did involve them quite deeply with the ramifications of my actions outside of my job description. But I addressed it to them. And we’ll meet today and I’ll continue to talk with them individually.

Stacy had brought it up from time to time but I was always in denial and I would say the only person that has ever pushed me to it is the person right here. And she said it just hit a head with kind of a lot of situations. Just as usual it was my wife who came through.

Well they’re great guys. They’re great guys and we’ve been through a lot and they believe in second chances obviously just like I do with them. It’s an unconditional situation. The future of this basketball team is very, very bright. The players in it, the recruits in it. It’s got to be very exciting for the Cyclone fans when you look at the players coming in. Not only because of their talent but the character you’re talking about there.

Have you talked to other coaches?

I talked to a lot of people and I never saw anybody that said you know when I quit drinking my career stopped skyrocketing. It was unbelievable how much better I got. When I began drinking my career just took off. Every story was that. Jerry Sloan, Rudy Tomjonavich. When you look at those people – Jerry Sloan is a great friend of mine – when you look at what he’s accomplished in his sober years, if you will, he’s only gotten better. These guys have only gotten better they’ve only improved. But it’s a lot more than that. I know I can never have a drink again. But without the counseling you don’t become whole, if you will. Without the counseling you don’t become the best husband you can become and the best father. The best son. It’s a step of not, you know, stop drinking. But then it’s why. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done for the people around me and most important myself. You’ve been selfish all your life and then they tell you you need to think about yourself first in this situation. I’ve had so much support things are really moving along great. Again, in a personal area, in the way I feel.

I never got in a car and drove. I always stayed within the boundaries in my opinion of the law. But obviously I was out of control. I would say I have made extreme poor judgment on occasion. On occasion, for sure.

In all honesty I would like to have kept it a personal issue and then said, ‘Hey, Mom, I haven’t had a drink in a year.’ I would like to have kept it in the family if you will. But unfortunately that didn’t happen and I really feel like the people in Iowa need to hear the story. I really do. Why not sooner than the last few days is I have not been here. I’ve been in counseling.

I think that a non-sober Larry, not to speak in the third person, had the ability to win two championships if you will. I’m at my best as you look at me right now. I am a far more effective husband, a far more effective coach, as you look at me right now. I really think that if you’re dealing in character people, in time for sure, that people forget. Karl Malone forgave Jerry Sloan. I’m not throwing out the sympathy card here folks, I’m not doing that. It’s been extremely hard particularly on the person next to me. I’m telling my story. Our story. I think short term a lot of things will hurt. I think long term everything will be a lot better.

Question for Stacy: What was your reaction to the pictures and story?

Well I had the opportunity of a little more time than most people because I aware the story was coming. But we had also talked about the particular Missouri event about the time it happened. So I was aware. How did I react? It didn’t surprise me. I know we’re in the public eye and I kind of knew what would happen and the ramifications. Just having a sense of comfort in knowing what happened and Larry talking to me about it. I handled it well, I think. We talked to our kids, I talked to the kids about it. I said, you know, there are so many great things about who we are in this profession and how fortunate we are that in our visibility we get treated differently and those are great things. But sometimes when you make poor decisions and you’re very visible then you also have to pay the consequences. And your dad has made some poor decisions but he’s also making them right and he’s got to learn from that as visible as we are because the same thing could happen to you. This is how I handled it, I guess, in looking at our children and saying if we don’t learn from this what good is this? I just used it as a tool.

Oh yes, absolutely. And I told him, I said you disappointed me, you know, you did. But I also know that he did nothing immoral. We had this discussion. And absolutely I was disappointed in him and I let him know. I often felt like, you know I would bring it up to his attention. You know, Larry, I think you drink too much and let’s talk about it. And I realized I wanted him to do it for me and it took me awhile to realize that he had to get to the point where only he could do it for himself and then I would benefit. I’m so proud that he got there, I don’t care what it took. I don’t care that it took this national…I’m thankful. I’m thankful. I’ll thank Tom Witosky.

Larry: Where is Tom? Is that that you? I figured that.

Stacy: I want to thank you, I really do.

Larry: You are the best thing that ever happened to me. I want to tell you that personally. The best thing that ever happened to me. I appreciate it.

Well, absolutely, whatever it would take to right a second chance I would do. I only hope there’s a chance to fly with this team because I found out in just a short time that I can fly sober. If you have a fear of flying that’s one of the most non-comprehendible…I don’t think you really understand just how difficult that is. So, whatever it would take to have us move forward I would do.