UT parts ways with head track coach Sategna

Texas announced Thursday that it has “separated” from Mario Sategna, the head coach of the track and field team.

UT associate coach Tonja Buford-Bailey will serve as Texas’ interim head coach, Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said. The rest of the staff will remain intact.

Buford-Bailey will escort a handful of UT athletes to the USATF Indoor Championships this weekend, but most of the Longhorns are off until next week’s Big 12 Indoor Championships.

In 2016, Sategna took a personal leave of absence that lasted four months. During that time, it was reported he was the subject of an ethics and misconduct investigation. Buford-Bailey served as one of two co-head coaches during his absence. “After discussing the future our track and field program, I felt it was best to move forward and head in a

direction at this time,” Del Conte said in a statement. No further explanation was

deparA university spokesperson said that Del Conte had no further comment at this time. Attempts by the American-Statesman to reach Sate- gna were unsuccessful. Sategna, 45, had been UT’s

since Texas combined men’s and women’s pro

in 2013. From 2003- he served as the asso- ciate head coach for the men’s team. Sategna accompanied Texas to last weekend’s Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.

Thursday’s news came as a surprise. On Monday, the track program promoted a videotaped interview of Sategna on its Twitter account. It has since been deleted. In the video, Sategna said his favorite part of coaching at Texas was “just the opportunity to be a part of this chapter, to be a part of tradition, to be a part of history. I have to pinch myself every day when I wake up.”

Buford-Bailey, 47, has been an associate head coach at Texas since 2013; she primarily oversaw the sprints, hurdles and relays. She was the head women’s coach at Illinois from 2008-13.

Buford-Bailey was a standout at Illinois who won the NCAA championship in the 400-meter hurdles in 1992. She participated in three Olympics and was the bronze medalist in the 400-meter hurdles in 1996.

“Coach Buford-Bailey has a great deal of experience as a head coach and has been a valuable leader in our program for several years now,” Del Conte said. “We have full confidence in her ability to lead our student-athletes and in assuming the duties of head coach immediately.”