How is this NOT a big deal. A faculty member engaging in inappropriate relations with a student. That's a conflict of interest. He should have been let go. It's simply not professional and the fact that it happens at higher levels doesn't make it excusable.
A faculty member, eh? Wasn't sure the last time that I heard a football coach referred to as university faculty....
Also, he isn't her supervisor, doesn't fall anywhere in her line of supervision, and he does not evaluate her performance. I get that they're technically on the field together in support of the football program, but that would be like saying a professor couldn't hook up with a student who happened to take a class in the same building that he taught in.
If Applewhite hadn't been married, I guarantee that we would have never heard about this "incident".