Joseph L. Kearney (April 28, 1927 – May 5, 2010) was an American coach and sports administrator in university athletics. He served as athletic director at three major universities: the University of Washington (1969–1976), Michigan State University (1976–1980), and Arizona State University (1980). He was commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) from 1980 until his retirement in 1994.