Report: Art Briles emerging as offensive coordinator candidate at HBCU

Former Baylor head coach Art Briles could finally get back into collegiate coaching this year, according to FootballScoop’s Zach Barnett. Briles is in the conversation to take over as offensive coordinator at Grambling State under new head coach Hue Jackson.

“A deal is not in place at this time, but the school hopes to make an announcement this week,” Barnett shared.

During Briles’ tenure at Baylor, he led the Bears to a 65-37 record. Baylor won the Big 12 in 2013 and 2014 and made the College Football Playoff in the 2014-2015 season.

In 2016, Baylor made sweeping changes to its athletic department as a result of a sexual assault scandal involving numerous football players. After eight seasons, they fired Briles as head coach.

The hire would immediately spark controversy for Jackson who is leading his first collegiate program at Grambling State. However, following extensive litigation over the last five years, Briles has distanced himself from the Baylor scandals.

Committee on Infractions fails to connect Briles to Baylor assault scandals

At the time of Art Briles’ firing, he was under fire after authorities convicted two players, Tevin Elliot and Sam Ukwuachu, of sexual assault. Allegations swirled against other players as well. Notably, former player Shawn Oakman was arrested on sexual assault charges (In 2019, Oakman was found not guilty.) In 2017, a new lawsuit alleged that in four years, at least 31 Baylor players committed at least 52 acts of rape.

Prior to the 2021 season, the Division I Committee on Infractions hearing panel announced it could not conclude that Baylor violated NCAA rules when it failed to report allegations of and address sexual and interpersonal violence committed on its campus.

“My client Art Briles has been completely exonerated and cleared of all NCAA violations alleged against him,” Briles’ attorney Scott Tompsett said in a public statement at the time. “As the NCAA Committee on Infractions explained, the conduct at issue was pervasive and widespread throughout the Baylor campus, and it was condoned or ignored by the highest levels of Baylor’s leadership. The NCAA’s decision today clears the way for Mr. Briles to return to coaching college football.”

After his firing, Briles threatened a lawsuit for wrongful termination. In response, Baylor provided an out-of-court settlement.

Path back to collegiate coaching

Art Briles had an extremely short tenure with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League in 2017. Just hours later, following a blast of criticism and pressure from league officials, the organization reversed course.. He hasn’t coached in college football since his firing in 2016. His son, Kendal Briles, is the offensive coordinator at the University of Arkansas under Sam Pittman.

Most recently, Art Briles led Mount Vernon High School in Texas to a 20-6 record in 2019 and 2020. He resigned his position shortly after a playoff loss in 2020, creating speculation that he considered returning to college.