Baylor hires Jim Grobe as interim head coach to replace Art Briles
The Baylor Bears are hiring Jim Grobe as the team’s interim head football coach after the termination of Art Briles.
Baylor hired former Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Jim Grobe on an interim basis to replace Art Briles who was terminated on Thursday.
Briles was the highest-paid coach in the Big 12 and had eight years left on his contract before he was fired after the program was embroiled in a scandal with sexual assault allegations, rape convictions and other date violence from former players. Further, there were reports that Baylor officials and coaches knew of the assaults and tried to cover them up and didn’t discipline the players accused of the assaults.
Briles had to go.
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In comes Grobe who last coached in 2013 after he resigned from Wake Forest after a fifth straight losing season with the Demon Deacons. Grobe previously coached at Ohio from 1995-2000 before taking the Wake Forest job in 2001 where he won the ACC and mad ethe Orange Bowl in 2006 after an 11-3 season.
“Jim Grobe is the right leader at this time to move Baylor University and the football program forward,” said Baylor Vice President and Director of Athletics Ian McCaw in a statement released on the school’s website. “He has successfully led two FBS programs during his career,” McCaw added. “Coach Grobe enjoys an impeccable reputation within the intercollegiate athletics community and is a man of great integrity and faith.”
Before tabbing Grobe as the interim head coach, Baylor was believed to be leaning toward hiring defensive coordinator Phil Bennett for the position. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Mark Schlabach, Baylor All-American linebacker and former NFL head coach Mike Singletary was considered for the position.
“It is an honor for me to have the opportunity to join the Baylor football program during this important time,” said Grobe, who has served as a college football analyst since leaving Wake after the 2013 season. “I am looking forward to getting to know and working with the coaches and players in the coming days, and I have great respect for Baylor as an institution and its long-standing heritage.
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“As a coach, winning is important. At the same time, I want to assure the Baylor family that every decision we will make in this football program will be made with Baylor University, her students and our student-athletes in mind.”
Baylor went 65-37 under Briles, including winning double-digit games in four of the last five seasons and winning the Big 12 in 2013 and 2014.
Baylor still has plenty of talent to compete in the Big 12 but expectations have to be lowered with Grobe on the sidelines instead of Briles.
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If Grobe can lead the Bears to a Big 12 title and a berth in the College Football Playoff, maybe he gets the interim label removed and he will get a few more years to see what he can do in Waco.
But the most likely scenario is Baylor will be looking for a long-term option at the position.
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