The Associated Press

AMES, Iowa - Iowa State associate head basketball coach Steve Barnes was suspended Thursday night for making what the university said were threatening remarks against the administration and athletic director Bruce Van De Velde.

Van De Velde ordered the suspension after learning that Barnes had called the parents of a player and urged them to rally around head coach Larry Eustachy, university spokesman John McCarroll said.

Barnes' suspension came one day after Van De Velde suspended Eustachy and recommended that he be fired because of newspaper reports that the coach had partied with college students after two road games.

McCarroll said that according to the parents, whom he did not name, Barnes also encouraged them to "go after the people that got us."

"Clearly, we see that as a reference to the university and to the athletic director," McCarroll said. "We think this kind of activity by coach Barnes is really inconsistent with his duty to conduct himself in the best interests of the university and the student-athletes."

Eustachy had revealed earlier Wednesday that he was an alcoholic and was undergoing treatment.

McCarroll said Barnes made the remarks in a telephone call late Wednesday night. The university regarded the call and Barnes' comments as a "form of threat and a form of intimidation."

"It really is inexcusable conduct that we will not tolerate," McCarroll said. "It puts student-athletes and their families in an extremely uncomfortable and unfortunate position."

McCarroll said the players' parents confirmed that the call was made. He said he wanted to make it clear that the university in no way was alleging that Eustachy was behind the call.

"Since the process (against Eustachy) was initiated yesterday, we want to be fair to Coach Eustachy and we want to protect his contractual rights," McCarroll said. "We're going to continue to speak with restraint to make sure his rights are respected.

"But when a situation occurs like this, it is simply intolerable."

McCarroll said there was "no doubt" the telephone call took place.

"We clearly confirmed the message with the parents," he said.

Barnes, 45, was the head coach at San Jose State for three years before joining the Iowa State staff prior to this season. His friendship with Eustachy goes back to the 1970s, when they were high school and college teammates in California.

He also coached under Eustachy at Idaho and Utah State.