Sarah Jo Warner, a former IU player under coach Izard, struggled with mental health. In 2006, after Izard’s death, authorities made a shocking discovery about her.
Highlights
- Jim Izard was a prominent women’s collegiate basketball coach at Indiana University (IU) from 1989 to 2000, amassing 188 victories and leading the team to multiple NCAA and NIT appearances.
- He died in 2006 at the age of 57, by suicide. His father, Phillips H. Izard, had also committed suicide in 1974, a few years after he was accused and tried for the murder of his wife (Jim’s mother).
- Jim Izard remarried Sarah Jo Warner, a former player at IU, after his coaching tenure ended at IU. He was previously married to a woman named Gail.
- Sarah Jo Warner, who reportedly faced serious mental struggles, faced scrutiny after the discovery of two human fetuses in a storage unit, which she self-aborted.
Jim Izard, a prominent figure in women’s collegiate basketball, served as the head coach for Indiana University’s (IU) women’s basketball team from 1989 to 2000.
During his tenure, he became the program’s all-time winningest coach, amassing 188 victories and leading the team to multiple NCAA and NIT appearances.
Izard’s career, however, was marred by controversies, and his life ended tragically on February 28, 2006, when he died by suicide at his home in Rosemary Beach, Florida. He was 57.
However, those close to Izard expressed skepticism about this conclusion, asserting that he was not the type to take his own life.
A former student-athelete of Izard at DePaul University, Diana Vines, said in an interview,
He was instrumental in making me the person I am today and I can’t believe such a strong individual like he was would do something like that.
chicagotribune.com
Coach Izard Had A Complicated Married Life With His Former Player, Sarah Jo Warner
Following his dismissal from IU after the 1999-2000 season, Izard’s personal life took a notable turn when he married Sarah Jo Warner, a former player who was significantly younger than him.
Their relationship attracted attention due to the age difference and the dynamics of a coach marrying a former athlete from his program.
Sarah Jo was born on June 1, 1976, with her twin brother Brian, to parents Mike and Margaret Leonard.
She was a star basketball player at Central High School in her hometown of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, before playing at Indiana University under coach Izard, whom she would marry after her collegiate career ended prematurely due to a chronic injury in her left knee.
Her player bio describes her,
Hard-nosed, aggressive player … will add needed depth in the backcourt.
iuhoosiers.com
Her life became the subject of media scrutiny following a series of events after Izard’s death.
In 2006, authorities received a tip that led them to a storage unit in Rome, Georgia.
Inside the unit, they discovered two human fetuses, six and eight months old, stored in plastic containers.
This discovery raised numerous questions and led to investigations, though specific details about the outcomes remain scarce in available sources.
Detective Pete Sailors, who led the search, said in a briefing,
[It was] one of the more unusual findings I’ve ever seen.
chicagotribune.com
Sarah Jo, who, at the time, was reportedly admitted to a Florida psychiatric hospital, herself told authorities about the details of the abortions, which she carried out at home with a wire coat hangar.
Authorities reported that the fetuses were self-aborted by Warner in 2001 and 2002.
Jim Izard Had An Illustrious But Controversial Coaching Career
Before his tenure at IU, Izard coached at DePaul University and the University of Southwestern Louisiana, where he made significant contributions to women’s basketball programs.
During his time at DePaul, Izard married Gail. There isn’t any available information about their marriage.
At IU, his leadership led the team to NCAA tournament appearances in 1994 and 1995 and NIT appearances in 1993 and 1998, with a runner-up finish in 1993.
Despite his on-court successes, Izard’s career faced challenges.
He was dismissed from IU in 2000, after which he filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging age and sex discrimination.
He claimed that the then-athletic director expressed a preference for hiring a female coach, which Izard argued was discriminatory.
The university settled the lawsuit by paying Izard more than $76,000.
The settlement included $26,065 for emotional distress, $20,000 for regular wages, and $30,710 for Izard’s lawyers.
After leaving Indiana University, Jim Izard continued his coaching career at Berry College, an NAIA school in Georgia.
He joined Berry College in 2001 and coached there until he resigned abruptly in the middle of the 2005 season for personal reasons.
Izard’s Early Life Was Complicated By Personal Family Tragedies
In 1969, his mother, Virginia Sheffield Izard, was found strangled to death, and his father, Phillips H. Izard, was accused of her murder.
After two trials ended in hung juries, the case remained unresolved, and in 1974, his father died by suicide.
To add salt to the wound, his older brother, Capt. Phil Izard, was killed in Vietnam.
These events, which he kept secret from his colleagues, may have contributed to the complexities of Izard’s personal and professional life.
Despite the controversies surrounding his career and personal life, Izard’s impact on women’s basketball, particularly at Indiana University, remains a significant part of his legacy.
His coaching achievements and the subsequent events involving his family continue to be topics of discussion in the sports community.
Additional Information
- Before his tenure at Indiana University, Jim Izard had a successful coaching career at DePaul University, where he led the women’s basketball team to a Women’s NIT championship in 1988.
- Izard was known for his recruiting prowess. One of his notable achievements was landing Marla Inman, one of the nation’s most sought-after recruits, during his time at Indiana University.
- Izard often spoke about his admiration for Bob Knight, the legendary men’s basketball coach at Indiana University. He once humorously remarked, “If he’s the king of Indiana, I’ll just be the queen.”
