Jeff Lebby explains why Art Briles was on OU field
Art Briles, who was fired by Baylor for his handling of a sexual assault scandal and is the father-in-law of OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, was spotted on Owen Field wearing an Oklahoma shirt Saturday after OU’s 28-11 win over SMU.
Briles was fired in 2016 for “failure to act” during his tenure at Baylor where he was the head coach during one of the biggest sexual assault scandals in NCAA history. Lebby worked for Briles as an offensive assistant coach from 2008-16 and later married his daughter.
Following the game, Lebby was asked why Briles was on the field postgame.
“That’s my father-in-law. He’s my father-in-law,” Lebby said. “That’s the grandfather to my two kids. So he was down with our entire family after the game, well after the game. He was down there with the entire family.”
Since the photo surfaced of Briles on the field, fans have voiced their displeasure, taking to social media to voice their frustration. According to coach Brent Venables, he was unaware that Briles was on the field.
“I was made aware just before I came in here that he was and I think that’s being dealt with, and already has been,” Venables said during his postgame press conference.
Briles made attempts to return to football with little success. He spent time coaching high school football in Texas, but due to his past, has not stuck at one place long. Most recently, he was announced as head coach of the upstart International Football Alliance’s team in Dallas, which will begin play in 2024.
For OU, this will likely continue to be a topic of conversation this week, as many believe it was not the best look for the university to have Briles on the field.
Briles also appeared to be wearing a shirt which some might consider to be school-issued clothing. It was a Jordan Brand shirt with the OU logo.
OU athletics director Joe Castilgione released the following statement regarding the incident.
“I was just as disappointed as many of our fans when I learned of the postgame situation tonight. It shouldn’t have happened and it was my expectation it never would, based on boundaries we previously set. I’ve addressed it with the appropriate staff.”
