Former UT track & field coach, Kevin Hadsell, gets emotional while discussing his former runners.
/ Jim Blue
TOLEDO -- On Jan. 24, University of Toledo women's track coach Kevin Hadsell resigned from the position he had held for the last 15 years, saying that he had violated university policy.Two weeks later, text messages between Hadsell and a former athlete were published on the internet website Deadspin, and appear to show an inappropiate relationship between the two filled with graphic sexual language.
In the article, Hadsell is said to have been forced to give up his position after a female runner accused him of sexual harassment. That runner also told the school that the 42-year-old coach had been in a long-term physical relationship with a fellow teammate and friend.
Deadspin claims they have obtained text messages from Hadsell's phone that portray an "obsessive and paranoid" man during the course of the university's investigation into his inappropriate behavior. The text messages are also said to include flirty and sexual undertones. According to the online magazine, Hadsell wrote about one of his female athletes, "Not gonna lie. I would hook up with {her} (I havmt) but if she wasn't psycho I would." He later wrote, "I'm down for drinks, laughs, sex. Other than that I value my free time."
WNWO Sports Director Will Kunkel sat down with Hadsell Saturday morning for an interview in which the former UT coach was ready and willing to respond to the claims being splashed across the Internet. In the three part interview, of which the final installment air Monday at 6 p.m., Hadsell states he is culpable of some of what he is being accused of, but that he is not a monster. He admits to drinking while at practice, but denies harassing his players in any context.
WATCH video from the 2-hour sitdown interview.
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Amulya Raghuveer contributed to this article.
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