( CNN ) Seven people -- including Illinois State University associate men 's basketball coach Torrey Ward and deputy athletic director Aaron Leetch -- died when their small plane crashed while heading back from the NCAA tournament final . The aircraft went down overnight Monday about 2 miles east of the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington , McLean County Sheriff 's Office Sgt . Bill Tate said . That 's about 5 miles from the campus of Illinois State , where Ward and Leetch both worked . It was not immediately known who else was on the aircraft , which the National Transportation Safety Board tweeted was a Cessna 414 . The plane was coming back from the NCAA Final Four championship game in Indianapolis , according to Illinois State athletics spokesman John Twork . `` The ISU community is reeling from the loss , '' Twork said . The last post from a Twitter account that purportedly belongs to Ward features pictures from Lucas Oil Stadium , where Duke beat Wisconsin in the title game . There 's also a picture of a small plane with the words , `` My ride to the game was n't bad # indy2015f4 . '' In a statement , Illinois State University President Larry Dietz remembered Ward and Leetch as `` well-respected and much-loved colleagues in our athletics department '' in the crash near Bloomington . `` Words can not fully express the grief that is felt in the wake of such a tragedy , '' Dietz said . `` We move between shock and profound sadness . '' A standout player at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in his hometown between 1996 and 2000 , Ward played professionally in China alongside Yao Ming before getting into coaching . He was part of the staffs at Jacksonsville State University , the University of Mississippi and , for one year , in China before coming to Illinois State as an assistant prior to the 2012 season . He was promoted to associate head coach in May 2014 , according to his official bio . Coming from Arkansas State University , Leetch joined ISU in 2005 as an athletic director for development before assuming a number of other roles through 2011 , his bio notes . Leetch left the Illinois school to serve as director of athletics at Whitworth University in Spokane , Washington , then came back in June 2013 as ISU 's deputy director of athletics . He was in charge of the Redbirds ' athletics communications and video production units , and had a hands-on role in its football , men 's basketball , golf and baseball programs . Athletic Director Larry Lyons described Leetch as `` a shining star in the business , '' while lauding Ward as `` a talented coach and recruiter '' with a big personality who was loved by fans . `` There is no play in the playbook for times like these , '' Lyons said . `` We will miss Aaron and Torrey deeply , and we will support their families in any way that we can . '' People we 've lost in 2015 .
The crashed plane was a Cessna 414 , NCAA reports . Coach Torrey Ward , administrator Aaron Leetch among the 7 killed in the crash . The plane crashed while coming back from the National Transportation Safety Board title game in Indianapolis .