Bev Kearney, Univ. of Texas Women's Track Coach, Admits Student Affair

Resigns from position

Bev Kearney, a Hall of Fame track and field coach, has resigned due to an "intimate consensual relationship" with a University of Texas athlete student in 2002. Kearney, the first African-American coach to win an NCAA national team championship in Division I track and field, would not identify the athlete but the relationship began 10 1/2 years ago and ended "at least about eight years ago," according to the school. In a statement, the head of the university's legal affairs department Patti Ohlendorf said Kearney was a good person who was important to the school, "however, she made this terrible mistake and used unacceptably poor judgment in having this relationship." Kearney told a newspaper, "You destroy yourself. You start questioning how could you make such a judgment. How could you make such an error after all the years? You can get consumed (by it)." In 2002, Kearney was the victim of a paralyzing car accident. She was thrown more than 50 feet from an SUV and suffered extensive spinal injuries, but continued to lead her team from her hospital bed and learned to walk again.

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