Joseph Kearney
Encyclopedia
Life and work
After serving in the NavyNavy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kearney attended Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university of the liberal arts, sciences and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church as the Seattle Seminary...
and attained his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. He was also a member of the SPU basketball team. This was then followed by teaching and coaching stints in Paradise High School (Paradise, California
Paradise, California
Paradise is an incorporated town in Butte County, in the northwest foothills of California's Central Valley, in the Sierra. The town is considered part of the Chico Metropolitan Area. The population was 26,218 at the 2010 census, down from 26,408 at the 2000 census...
); the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
(as assistant basketball coach for Tippy Dye
Tippy Dye
William Henry Harrison "Tippy" Dye is a noted former college athlete, coach, and athletic director in the United States. As a basketball head coach, Dye led the University of Washington to their only NCAA Final Four appearance...
) and Sunnyside High School (Sunnyside, Washington
Sunnyside, Washington
Sunnyside is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. As of the 2010 Census the population was 15,858.-History:On September 16, 1902, residents voted 42 to one to incorporate as the town of Sunnyside. By state law a town needed to have 300 citizens in order to legally incorporate...
). He then became a high school principal in the state of Washington when he was hired by Onalaska High School (Onalaska, Washington
Onalaska, Washington
-Use of the name Onalaska in the United States:The name for the community comes from the poem, "The Pleasures of Hope" by Scottish poet Thomas Campbell...
), where he also taught and coached. In 1961, he was appointed as the inaugural principal at Tumwater High School
Tumwater High School
Tumwater High School is a secondary school in Tumwater, Washington serving grades 9-12 in Thurston County. It is one of two comprehensive high schools in the Tumwater School District...
in Tumwater, Washington. He concurrently pursued and completed a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Education at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
and moved back to the University of Washington to finish his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, where he was also strongly linked to the UW Athletic Department and quickly rose to the rank of Assistant Athletic Director under the legendary Jim Owens
Jim Owens
-External links:...
, who was UW football coach and Athletic Director when Kearney joined the Athletic Department. From this position, he was appointed Athletic Director for the University of Washington when Jim Owens decided to focus solely on his job as football coach.
In addition to the above roles, Kearney also served as the Assistant Executive Director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington...
(WIAA). For sixteen years he served the U.S. Olympic Committee as a committee member and later as a USOC Committee Chairman. He was then named to the USOC Board of Directors and in 1996 he was awarded the USOC Olympic Torch Award.
He retired to Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
and lived there for fifteen years with his wife Dorothea Kearney (born 3 January 1927 in Shelton, Washington
Shelton, Washington
Shelton is the county seat, of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington...
, deceased 5 February 2011 in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
). He was the father of five children (Jan Veile, Kevin Kearney, Erin Leary, Shawn Bassham and Robin Kearney) and had eleven grandchildren (Christopher Kearney; Katie Kearney; Nicholas Kearney; Emma Kearney; Ryan Kearney; Aaron Bassham; Seth Bassham; Graham Veile; Laurel Howard; Trey Howard and Adrian Leary).
Kearney died on May 5, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona, after an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
.
Professional career
Kearney served as athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at three major universities:
- University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, 1969–1976 - Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, 1976–1980 - Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, 1980
He was Commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
(WAC) from 1980 until his retirement in 1994.
In 1991, Joe Kearney was nominated by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics is a professional organization for college and university athletic directors in the United States. NACDA boasts a membership of more than 6,100 individuals and more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico...
(NACDA) to be its recipient of the Corbett Award
Corbett Award
The James J. Corbett Memorial Award is a US award given annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics . It is presented "to the collegiate administrator who through the years has most typified Corbett's devotion to intercollegiate athletics and worked unceasingly for...
, which is the highest honor in university sports administration.
Professional Highlights and Honors
- In the 1978-1979 season at Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, his teams captured the Big Ten titles in footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- the so-called triple crown. The basketball team, led by future NBA Hall of Fame forward Magic JohnsonMagic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
defeated Indiana State (led by fellow NBA Hall of Famer Larry BirdLarry BirdLarry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
) in the title game at the 1979 Final FourFinal fourFinal Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
.
- The Western Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceThe Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
presents the Joe Kearney Award to the top male and female athlete each year—an award that has been given annually since the 1991-1992 academic year.
- Joe Kearney hired and worked with some of the most prominent coaches in university athletics, including Jim OwensJim Owens-External links:...
, college football coaching hall of famer Don James (football), and Darryl RogersDarryl RogersDarryl Dale Rogers is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at California State University, Fresno , San Jose State University , Michigan State University , and Arizona State University , compiling a career college football record of 126–77–7...
in football. In basketball, he worked with Jud HeathcoteJud HeathcoteGeorge Melvin "Jud" Heathcote is a former college basketball coach. He was a head coach for 24 seasons at the collegiate level: five at Montana and 19 at Michigan State...
, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coaching award winner Marv HarshmanMarv HarshmanMarv K. Harshman is a former college men's basketball coach native to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA.-Collegiate career:Harshman started coaching at his alma mater of Pacific Lutheran University , where he also was the head football coach from 1951 to 1957, compiling a 27-26-2 record...
and Tex WinterTex WinterMorice Fredrick "Tex" Winter is a Hall-of-Fame American basketball coach, and innovator of the triangle offense.-Early life:...
. In other sports he worked with such outstanding coaches as Dick Erickson and Bob Ernst in crew, Earl Ellis in swimming, Dr. Eric Hughes in gymnastics, Ken Shannon in track and field, the legendary Danny LitwhilerDanny LitwhilerDaniel Webster Litwhiler was an American Major League baseball player who played outfield from 1940-1951. He played for the Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds. He was the first Major Leaguer to have an error-free season...
in baseball, Joe Baum in Soccer, and Amo BessoneAmo BessoneAmo Bessone was a collegiate ice hockey player and head coach.Bessone was born in Sagamore, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he learned to play hockey....
and Ron MasonRon MasonRon Mason is a Canadian former ice hockey player, head coach and university executive. As head coach of various universities, notably including Michigan State University , he became the winningest ice hockey coach in NCAA history with 924 career wins...
in ice hockey. Bessone and Mason both won NCAA Men's Ice Hockey ChampionshipNCAA Men's Ice Hockey ChampionshipThe annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
s, with Mason retiring as having the all time highest number of wins in Division One ice hockey. Mason was the Athletic Director at Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
until his retirement in early 2008, when he was succeeded by Mark HollisMark Hollis (athletic director)Mark Hollis is the current athletic director at Michigan State University. He succeeded Ron Mason as athletic director on January 1, 2008.- Education :...
, who was basketball team manager on Jud HeathcoteJud HeathcoteGeorge Melvin "Jud" Heathcote is a former college basketball coach. He was a head coach for 24 seasons at the collegiate level: five at Montana and 19 at Michigan State...
's staff at Michigan State and on Joe Kearney's staff at the Western Athletic Conference.