Art Briles releases statement after resigning from Grambling State

For less than a week, former Baylor Bears head coach, and the highly controversial, Art Briles was the offensive coordinator for the Grambling State Tigers. Chris Vannini of The Athletic reported the move on Monday evening, ending the short relationship the two parties had.

Shortly after the resignation was reported, Pete Thamel of ESPN was able to obtain a statement from Briles. He thanked Grambling State for the opportunity but said being involved with the program would be too big of a distraction.

“Unfortunately, I feel that my continued presence will be a distraction to you and your team, which is the last thing that I want,” Briles said. “I have the utmost respect (for) the university, and your players.”

Briles now be entering his seventh season without a coaching job at the collegiate level. He returned to the state of Texas as the head coach of Mount Vernon High School in 2019 and spent two seasons at the 3A school.

Grambling State legend unhappy with Briles hire

Grambling could have the support of one of the university’s greatest student-athletes if Briles remained as the offensive coordinator. A four-year starter in the late 1970s, Doug Williams led the Tigers to a 36-7 overall record and won three SWAC championships. He was named the Black College Player of the Year twice, and after leading the NCAA in total yards from scrimmage (3,249), passing yards (3,286), touchdown passes (38) and yards per play (8.6) as a senior, Williams was selected in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft.

“I’m not a fan (of the Briles hiring) at all. I’m very, very disappointed in Grambling, I really am,” said Williams, who enjoyed a 13-year NFL career, followed by a roughly 30-year career as a coach and administrator. Among his many coaching roles, Williams served two terms as Grambling State’s head football coach (1998-2003, 2011-2013). “I talked to the A.D. a couple times. They knew where I stood, but they did it and if that’s what they want to do, that’s fine. I’m out.”

“I know ‘Shack’ (James Harris, another Grambling State alumnus and former NFL player) is not a fan and I’m not a fan at all. I can’t condone it myself,” Williams continued, via The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.

When asked to elaborate on being “out,” Williams did not mince words, explaining that he will completely cease any support of his alma mater.

“Oh, no. I can’t do that,” he said. “No, no, no. If I support them, I condone it.”

On3’s Simon Gibbs contributed to this report