College basketball coach, 46, left 'seriously injured' after crashing his pickup truck into a bridge pillar

Washburn University men's basketball coach Brett Ballard has been left 'seriously injured' after a car crash in Kansas on Tuesday.

The 46-year-old was driving alone when his Ford F-150 pickup truck struck a bridge pillar along the Kansas Turnpike at around 8:17pm.

A Kansas Highway Patrol accident report said Ballard's truck 'left the roadway and went to the left, struck a delineator post, the embankment, and then a bridge pillar.' He was wearing a seat belt at the time, the report said.

Ballard was immediately taken to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka, Kansas by first responders but his current condition is unknown. 

Ballard, who shares three children with his wife Kelly, has been preparing for his ninth season in charge of the Washburn Ichabods, which begins on November 7 against Point Loma.

'We are deeply saddened to share that Coach Brett Ballard was seriously injured in a car accident last evening,' Washburn president JuliAnn Mazachek said in a statement released on Wednesday morning.

'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,' Mazachek added. 'The university will share additional information when appropriate.'

As a player, Ballard represented the University of Kansas in 2001-02. A guard, he appeared in 32 games but started just one.

He was on a Jayhawks team that made the Final Four in the 2002 NCAA tournament and won the Big 12 title that year.

As a coach, Ballard boasts a 167-79 record over eight seasons with Washburn. They have made five NCAA Division II tournaments during his tenure and made the Final Four in 2024-25.

He's also held coaching roles at the University of Kansas, Baker University, Tulsa and Wake Forest.