![]() Those were all people I love and care about. “The effect of the fallout, if you want to call it that, start with victims who have certainly suffered, and will probably continue to do so for a long time. “I’m not sure many people have been through this like a lot of us have, not just me,” he said, referring to coaches and staff who lost their jobs. When the Baylor football empire was dismantled, Briles felt responsibility for those who had been lost in the rubble and struggled to clear their names. “Asking questions, and offering unsolicited advice.”įor Briles, these men and their families are at the center of the burden he still carries from what happened at Baylor. Probably more so than they want,” he laughs. Others in his coaching tree are spread among schools around the nation and in the NFL. His son, Kendal, is the offensive coordinator at Houston. He’s also been developing a new offense he describes as “revolutionary” and like “a self-driving car”, and stays in constant contact with the bevy of coaches who have worked with him in the past. He spends several hours every day writing. Over the last two years, Art Briles has been laying low in the Texas Hill Country. His wife of 40 years looks at him with a smile, like she can’t tell if he’s joking or not. “What do you think, Jan? Have I changed?” “I was given some information on how to respond, and that either was or wasn’t the right thing to do. “The ESPN deal, I was pretty weak at the time,” he said. For his part, Briles is still evaluating the impact the interview had on his prospects of ever finding another head coaching job. Detractors said he didn’t take nearly enough of the blame. Supporters wished he hadn’t taken any of the blame and implicated himself. So I do feel responsibility.” He was widely criticized for the interview. In the interview, Briles took responsibility for some of what happened at Baylor, and stated, “I feel responsibility. The network hyped the interview for a week and teased portions of it during the College Gameday Kickoff. The most discussed interview was done on ESPN by Tom Rinaldi. I don’t think it’s my spot or anybody else’s spot to rush to judgment.” People can form the opinions they want to form. It’s like how my Dad raised me – if you’re good, somebody will tell you. ![]() I just think your actions speak louder than your words. I’ve always lived by the quote ‘people may doubt what you say, but they’ll always believe what you do.’ If somebody wanted to go back and trace me on a daily basis through 38+ years of coaching, everybody I’ve dealt with day in and day out, there’s never been a single complaint filed against me. “I figured anything I said, people would say well this guy is just talking, trying to prove this or prove that. ![]() “If you want to be honest, I got bashed so bad,” Briles said. While the allegations mounted, Briles limited his exposure to the media. Following his departure from Baylor, every sports and news show in the nation discussed and projected his role in the ‘coverup’ of sexual assaults by Baylor football players. “It was a dagger in my heart,” Briles said.įor the last two years, much has been said about Art Briles.įor those who know him, that comes as no surprise. When Briles asked for a specific reason why he was losing his job after eight historic years as Baylor’s football coach, he was told, “You’re not the right person to run the program.” This meeting was a courtesy, and nothing else. He read the room and quickly understood the decision had already been made. He suggested ways the Title IX process could be improved. He presented a few options of how to move forward and still stay on as the head coach. Inside the conference room in Robinson Tower, Briles sensed the awkwardness. That job had to be done by Ian McCaw or Ken Starr. Only, the Board didn’t have authority to fire him. A group of Regents had determined that amidst mounting media pressure over the sexual assault scandal they needed to part ways with Briles. Briles asked for the meeting and they obliged.īriles had already received a heads-up phone call letting him know that his time at Baylor was over. A handful of Regents were present, with others on the conference call. This would be Art Briles’ last-ditch effort to explain his side of the story. The group of men entered the back of the building and made their way up towards a conference room. That evening, they met behind Robinson Tower to avoid being seen.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |