Washburn University men’s basketball head coach Brett Ballard, a Hutchinson High School and Hutchinson Community College alum, was seriously injured after a one-vehicle crash Tuesday night.
The Kansas Highway Patrol said the driver of the Ford, identified as Ballard, suffered serious injuries due to the crash.
Washburn University President JuliAnn Mazachek issued a statement on the crash to 27 News Tuesday night.
“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, who turned 46 on Feb. 26, is a Hutchinson High School and Hutchinson Community College graduate. He played two years at HutchCC from 1998-2000 and the University of Kansas from 2000-2002.
During the 2001-2002 season, Ballard helped the Kansas Jayhawks win the Big 12 Conference and reach the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
In Bill Self’s first season at KU in 2023-2004, Ballard served as a student assistant. He was promoted to video coordinator in 2004-2008 and was KU’s director of basketball operations from 2008-2010.
Ballard was Baker University head coach from 2010-2012 and served as an assistant coach at Tulsa and Wake Forest.
Ballard became head coach at Washburn in 2017. He has a 167-79 record at Washburn (.679) and an overall record of 200-109 (.647).
The Ichabods advanced to the NCAA II Final Four in 2024-2025 and posted a 30-4 record. Washburn posted a 31-2 mark in 2025-2026.
