Former IU women's basketball coach found dead

The winningest coach in IU women's basketball history was found dead Tuesday morning from what authorities called an "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."\nOfficers from the Walton County Sheriff's Office found Jim Izard dead in the bathroom of his Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., home after responding to a call from his wife, Sarah Warner. Izard was 57 years old.\nIzard coached the women's team from 1989 to 2000, compiling a 188-159 record in 12 years at IU.\nAccording to a responding officer's report, Izard told his wife he was going to take a nap before she left the house at 9 a.m. When she returned, she did not check on him because she believed he was sleeping.\nWarner was home for an hour before finding Izard in the bathroom. She called authorities at 11:33 a.m.\nWhen officers arrived, they pronounced Izard dead at the scene.\nThe Medical Examiner's Office in Pensacola, Fla., conducted an autopsy Wednesday, and Donna Shank, public information officer with the Walton County Sheriff's Office, said the investigation is still open. \n"We're very saddened with Jim's death," said Pete Rhoda, director of IU athletics media relations. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."\nWhile at IU, Izard led the Hoosiers to nine winning seasons, two NCAA tournament appearances and a second-place finish in the Women's National Invitation Tournament in his final year of coaching at IU. He coached his wife Sarah from 1995-1998. \n"He was very intense about basketball," said Wendy Poppy, who worked with Izard for 10 years as the team's head athletic trainer. "He was intense about winning. He very much loved the sport."\nPoppy said Izard was "very easy to work with" and said they had a good working relationship.\n"He was always interested in their academic success," Poppy said of Izard's concern for his players.\nSheri Washel, former IU associate sports information director, agreed with Poppy, saying Izard was intense about his No. 1 love.\n"But at the same time he was a \nperson when he got off the court. He liked to have a lot of fun," she said.\nIzard liked to golf and "hang out with the guys," she said.\n"He also carried that over with the team," Washel said. "When all was said and done, when we were all on the road, he was a very kind and generous man."\nBut Izard was not always easy to deal with. From a sports information standpoint, Washel said she had some difficult times with the coach.\n"But the difficult times never out shadowed the good times," Washel said. "It just always seemed like the staff and the coaches, we always felt like we were family. To this day I consider him as family."\nIzard started his coaching career at Livingston University, now the University of West Alabama, in Livingston, Ala. He then moved to DePaul University in Chicago for four years and was named North Star Conference Coach of the Year in 1987. The following year, Izard took DePaul to a WNIT championship with an 83-55 victory over Purdue in the title game.\nFormer IU Athletics Director Clarence Doninger released Izard in March 2000 before hiring Kathi Bennett. Izard filed a lawsuit against Doninger, stating in the lawsuit Doninger wanted a younger, female head coach, according to an Oct. 3, 2000, Indiana Daily Student article.\nThe parties reached a $76,775 settlement in February 2002.\nAfter IU, Izard coached Berry College from 2001 to January 2005, when he resigned, citing personal reasons.\nIzard was not coaching at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife.