Former Baylor head football coach Art Briles, who has not coached in college football since being fired by the Bears in 2016m is returning to the sport. On Sunday evening, Briles reached an agreement to become the new head coach at Eastern New Mexico University, a Division II school located in Portales, New Mexico, according to Mark Berman.
Briles was fired from his position at Baylor in 2016 after a review of the school's handling of sexual assault allegations made against multiple football players playing under Briles.
After the hire was made official, Eastern New Mexico athletic director Kevin Fite released the following statement, via ESPN's Pete Thamel.
“I am excited to welcome Art (Briles) to Eastern New Mexico University,” Fite said in the statement. “He is an excellent coach, and I look forward to the future of Greyhound football.”
Fite and Briles have history together during their time at the University of Houston. Fite worked as the associate athletic director for compliance and eligibility for the Cougars while Briles was the head coach there and is now the man who is bringing the disgraced head coach back to college football after nine years away from the sport.
Since his time at Baylor, Briles coached in the Italian Football League and in high school football in the United States. He has been up for multiple high-profile jobs during that time, including an offensive coordinator gig at Grambling State and a Canadian Football League job, but was not brought in after backlash from fans.
Briles was ruled by a federal judge as not negligent in a case where a female student at Baylor reported that she was physically assaulted by a football player who played under Briles.
Briles coached at Baylor from 2008-15, finishing with a 65-37 record with two conference championships. He also won a conference title at Houston in 2006.
