Washburn University men’s basketball coach Brett Ballard was seriously injured in a crash on the evening of Aug. 4, turning what should have been a routine summer update into a serious concern for a program that just finished one of its best seasons.
According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the crash happened about 8:17 p.m. along the Kansas Turnpike near South Topeka. Ballard’s 2024 Ford F-150 left the roadway on I-70, struck a delineator post, the embankment and then a bridge pillar. The accident report said Ballard was wearing a seat belt.
Ballard was taken to Stormont Vail Health after the crash. On the morning of Aug. 5, Washburn president JuliAnn Mazachek said in a statement that Ballard had been seriously injured in a car accident the previous evening. She added that the university was deeply saddened by the news and asked the community to keep Ballard, his family and the men’s basketball program in their thoughts while also respecting the family’s privacy.
What it means for Washburn
The timing makes this especially difficult. Ballard was preparing for his ninth season at Washburn, and the program enters the 2024-2025 season after going 30-4 and reaching the NCAA Division II National Semifinals. That kind of momentum usually points toward expectations, continuity and a chance to build on success. Instead, the immediate focus is now on Ballard’s recovery.
There is still much that is not known publicly about his condition, and the university said it will share additional information when appropriate. For now, the important facts are limited but serious: a coach entering a new season, a violent crash near Topeka, and a Washburn basketball community waiting for better news.
The result is a reminder that sports stories are not always about wins, losses and rankings. Sometimes they become about people first, and everything else has to wait.
