Art Briles, previously head coach of Baylor University, is set to be appointed as the new head coach at Eastern New Mexico, a Division II football program. His hiring marks a return to college football after nearly a decade away from the collegiate scene.
Briles’ Coaching Background
Briles, 69, has been out of college coaching since his dismissal from Baylor in 2016. This occurred after a comprehensive review of how the university dealt with sexual assault allegations involving football players. Since leaving Baylor, he has worked in various capacities, including coaching for Guelfi Firenze in Italy’s football league and at Mount Vernon High School in Texas from 2019 to 2020.
Controversial Attempts to Rejoin College Football
In 2022, Briles was approached by Grambling State for the offensive coordinator position. However, he quickly declined the opportunity due to public backlash. A similar incident happened in 2017 when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League also sought to hire him but withdrew their offer amidst criticism.
Connection to Eastern New Mexico
Kevin Fite, the athletic director at Eastern New Mexico, has previous ties to Briles, having served as the associate athletics director for compliance at Houston during Briles’ tenure there.
Coaching Achievements
- Briles compiled a coaching record of 99 wins and 65 losses at Baylor and Houston.
- Under his leadership, Baylor secured three conference titles.
- He achieved 10 or more wins in four of his last five seasons at Baylor.
Briles’ Reflections and Legal Outcomes
In a past interview, Briles acknowledged his mistakes during his time at Baylor, expressing regret for the incidents that occurred. He has stated intentions to learn from those experiences and improve going forward. In 2023, a federal court ruled that Briles was not negligent in a case related to a female student’s assault by a player in 2014.
Briles was also compensated with a $15.1 million settlement after his dismissal from Baylor, where he had eight years remaining on his contract when fired. The news of his hiring at Eastern New Mexico was initially reported by Mark Berman, a former sports director at KRIV Fox 26 in Houston.
