Assistant Professor Gerald Gurney passed away on Feb. 23, 2022, after retiring as professor emeritus in December 2021. A member of the educational leadership and policy studies department as an assistant professor since 2011, his professional expertise included critical issues in intercollegiate athletics, such as impact on higher education, academic support, athletics reform and ethics in athletics. From 1993-2011, Gurney worked in OU’s Athletics Department, supervising the student life center, academic services and sports medicine while also filling an adjunct role in ELPS.
He authored or coauthored approximately 40 publications, including Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It, and gave more than 30 major presentations, including a U.S. Senate Panel Discussion on Academic Integrity in College Sports in 2019. He appeared in the following documentaries: Schooled: The Price of College Sports (EPIX), Gaming the System (HBO, and Dropping the Ball: The Shady Side of Big-Time College Sports (SiriusXM and NPR).
