Miami of Ohio Women’s Basketball Coach Steps Down After Alleged Relationship With Player

A difficult situation has Miami University scouting for a new basketball coach.

DeUnna Hendrix is now a former coach for the Miami of Ohio women’s basketball team after she resigned on Wednesday amid the university’s discovery of an alleged intimate relationship with an unnamed player.

According to communications provided to The Athletic, Hendrix, 38, and the Redhawks player shared over 180 text messages within 11 days. Over 30 intimate messages were found that included statements that read “I love you,” “You’re my baby,” and “I. Can’t. Wait. To. Squeeze. You.”

“Doing this with you openly would be more than ideal,” one text exchange said. In a message delivered on April 9, Hendrix wrote, “TODAY IS THE DAYYYYYY that my girl returns to me,” and mentioned that “the airport will be clear of Miami WBB employees.”

Another text exchange found the player professing her love for Hendrix.

Miami University Director of Athletics David Sayler suspended Hendrix on April 20, 2023, the day after he became aware of the text messages.

As determined by the university, “There were no allegations of criminal activity nor was there an indication of a Title IX Sexual Misconduct violation. However, this investigation led to her resignation. Had she not resigned, the university would have pursued the termination process.”

“Much of the underlying information surrounding events remains confidential and protected student information,” the media relations department said.

Sayler announced Hendrix’s resignation on April 26, per The Miami Redhawks.

“I want to thank Miami University and its administration for allowing me to lead this program for the last four years,” Hendrix said. “I can’t express the amount of gratitude I have for this prestigious institution and its leadership. I also want to thank the Oxford community for the continual love and support. I look forward to the next phase of my career and continue rooting for the RedHawks.”

The 2019 hire led the women’s basketball team for four seasons, racking impressivenal stats and honors.