National Football Foundation

As one of the most highly respected administrators in the country, Kearney left an indelible mark on the gridiron throughout his nearly 30 years in college athletics.

Kearney's career began as an assistant athletics director under former University of Washington coach and athletics director Jim Owens. After Owens dropped his administrative duties to focus solely on football, Kearney was appointed to the helm, serving as Huskies' athletics director from 1969-76. He is credited with hiring legendary UW head coach Don James, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

He was hired as Michigan State's athletics director in 1976, and the Spartans would go on to claim 11 Big Ten championships during his tenure. MSU captured conference titles in football, basketball and baseball in 1978-79, winning the NCAA men's basketball championship the same year. He also hired College Football Hall of Fame coaching nominee Darryl Rogers, who led the Spartans to national acclaim.
After a one-year stint as athletics director at Arizona State, Kearney was hired as the Western Athletic Conference Commissioner in 1980, a post he would hold until his retirement in 1994. Under his tutelage, the conference crowned its first national football champion (BYU, 1984); earned its first Heisman and Outland Trophy winners; and oversaw the expansion to add Fresno State. For his devotion to intercollegiate athletics and its betterment, he was awarded NACDA's prestigious Corbett Award in 1991.

Dedicated to promoting the good that comes from the game of football, Kearney established three chapters (Colorado, Southern Arizona, King County (Wash.)) of the National Football Foundation throughout the country and was actively involved in the Southern Arizona Chapter until his health declined. He also served as a board member for the College Football Association; acted as president of the Collegiate Commissioner's Association; gained recognition as a special delegate to Congress on Title IX; and served on the U.S. Olympic Committee for 16 years. In his honor, the WAC established the Joe Kearney Award, which has been presented to the conference's top male and female athlete each year since 1991-92.

Kearney passed away on May 5, 2010 after an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife Dorothea, five children and 11 grandchildren.