Two days after Miami (OH) head women’s basketball coach DeUnna Hendrix resigned, The Athletic reported Friday that the separation occurred after the university was made aware of inappropriate texts Hendrix sent to a player on her team.
More than 180 texts from Hendrix to a RedHawks player were turned over to athletic director David Sayler on April 19, more than 30 of which had intimate overtones, The Athletic reported. They included Hendrix telling the player “I love you,” “You’re my baby” and “I. Can’t. Wait. To. Squeeze. You.”
Hendrix, 38, was suspended the next day, but in a statement the athletic department sent to the media outlet, an investigation concluded that Hendrix did not violate either Title IX or the university’s sexual misconduct policies. There was enough evidence, though, for Miami to pursue a termination for violating a policy regarding “staff members pursuing or engaging in a consensual amorous relationship with any Miami undergraduate students.”
It never got that far, as Hendrix tendered her resignation on Wednesday — with the caveat that the university only respond to third-party employment questions by “providing only my dates of employment and position held.”
As of Friday, the athletic department had removed Hendrix’s bio from the list of coaches on its website. An interim head coach was not named when the program announced Hendrix’s resignation Wednesday.
Hendrix was head coach at High Point for seven seasons before accepting the same position at Miami (OH) in 2019-20. In her four years there, the RedHawks went 35-80.
–Field Level Media
