Washburn men’s basketball coach Brett Ballard was seriously injured Tuesday night in a car crash in Topeka, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
The crash log said Ballard was taken to Stormont Vail Hospital after the accident, which happened at mile marker 183 on Interstate 470. He was wearing a seatbelt.
WIBW reported that the crash was called in at 8:17 p.m. Tuesday along the Kansas Turnpike on I-470 just west of the Interstate 470-Interstate 70 split.
According to the crash log, Ballard was driving a Ford F-150 westbound on Interstate 70 “when it left the roadway and went to the left, struck a delineator post, the embankment, and then a bridge pillar.”
Washburn University President JuliAnn Mazachek addressed the situation in a statement Wednesday morning.
“We are deeply saddened to share that Coach Brett Ballard was seriously injured in a car accident last evening,” Mazachek said. “Our hearts are with Coach Ballard, his family, the men’s basketball program and all who are affected during this difficult time.
“We ask our community to keep them in their thoughts during this time of recovery and to respect the family’s privacy. The university will share additional information when appropriate.”
Ballard’s connection to Kansas runs deep. He played on Roy Williams’ 2002 Final Four team, then worked on Bill Self’s staff at KU, moving from volunteer student assistant to director of basketball operations. After that, he coached at Baker University before joining Danny Manning’s staffs at Tulsa and Wake Forest.
Washburn brought Ballard in as head coach before the 2017 season, and he’s put together a strong run in Topeka. In eight seasons, the Ichabods have gone to five NCAA postseason tournaments and compiled a 167-79 record.
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