The University of Texas football program has a major concern on its hands.
After being kept under wraps for over four years now, it has finally been revealed that assistant football coach Major Applewhite had an “inappropriate” relationship with a Texas student.
It’s understood that Applewhite was having this relationship with the student during the Longhorns’ trip to play in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2008 season. The student was working with the football team as an athletic trainer at that time.
It’s widely speculated that the university is coming clean now because it is afraid of being sued by a former women’s track coach, Bev Kearney, who was forced to resign in January because of reports that she had a relationship with one of her athletes back in 2002.
A source told USA Today reporter George Schroeder, that a “potential lawsuit” by Kearney has forced the school to inform the university’s Board of Regents about Applewhite’s mistake with a team trainer. Applewhite was censured by athletic director DeLoss Dodds back in 2009. In his letter of reprimand, Dodds wrote that Applewhite’s salary would be frozen until Jan. 1, 2010, as a part of his punishment. Also, Applewhite was ordered to begin meeting with a counselor.
Kearney’s resignation came just after the women’s athletic director had recommended that the coach receive a new long-term contract and a significant raise from $270,000 to $397,000 per year.
The university’s board of regents announced there would be a “review of policies regarding faculty and staff relationships with students,” in lieu of this case, but no further action has been taken against Applewhite at this time.
