University of Texas women’s track coach Bev Kearney resigned Saturday after admitting she had a “consensual intimate relationship” with one of her student-athletes a decade ago.
Kearney told the Austin-American Statesman she had the “intimate” relationship with an athlete she coached. She said the relationship started in July of 2002 and ended later that year.
“You destroy yourself. You start questioning how could you make such a judgment,” Kearney told the paper. “How could you make such an error after all the years? You can get consumed (by it) … I didn’t commit a crime, but I displayed poor judgment.”
The University of Texas started an investigation in November after the incident was reported to the school in October. Kearny resigned before she could be fired.
Patti Ohlendorf, Texas vice president for legal affairs, said Kearney made a “terrible mistake and used unacceptably poor judgment in having this relationship” and said the university believed this was an isolated incident.
Ohlendorf said the university “cannot condone such an intimate relationship, including one that is consensual, between a head coach and a student athlete.”
“We told Coach Kearney such a relationship is unprofessional and crosses the line of trust placed in the head coach for all aspects of the athletic program and the best interests of the student athletes on the team.”
Kearny, who is 55 years old, was recently inducted into the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in 2007.
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