The trouble with Art Briles

It looked like beleaguered former Baylor head football coach Art Briles was going to get his second chance, and I applaud Dr. Rodney Bennett for bringing it to a halt.

I was in line at a local eatery a couple of weeks ago, deciding how much spice my gastrointestinal system could handle, when I overheard a conversation between two young ladies behind me. They were discussing Art Briles (even if they didn’t know him by name).

“I hear that coach from Baylor or whatever is going to get another college job. You know, that guy who let all his players rape girls at their school?”

That was all I needed to hear. The rest of their conversation was immaterial. That singular statement is exactly how former Baylor head coach Art Briles is still viewed and likely will be viewed for the rest of his life.

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That guy who let his players rape girls.

The truth hurts for Briles, especially when it comes from people who aren’t sports fans but still know how to skim the headlines.

But Briles almost … almost … got his second chance. When it was reported that he was to be interviewed for the offensive coordinator position at Southern Miss, the outcry was pretty clamourous. Then came the statement from USM President Rodney Bennett nixing the idea of Briles being brought on to the staff. That was followed by head coach Jay Hopson defending Briles (via, USA Today):

"“Although I respect the decision of Dr. Rodney Bennett, I disagree with it. I have interviewed Art Briles for an assistant position at Southern Miss and I believe he is a man who believes a second chance. He is a man that seemed sincere and humble in his interview and personally he committed no crime. He may not have acted in the proper protocol but that would be my JOB at Southern Miss! He was interviewing for an assistant position, even though I believe he will be a head coach at a major program in the near future. However, I believe he is a man who does love the Lord and deserves a second chance. He has been banned from a job in college football for three years and has been punished. I understand both sides have opinions, this is just mine.”"

When I read that statement, all I could think to myself was, “Oh boy.”

Bennett then released a second statement, clarifying his position and essentially closing the matter.

For his part, Briles stated the painfully obvious.

Whether or not Rodney Bennett and Jay Hopson are at odds with each other is not the issue here. The issue is that how does anyone not see the trouble with Art Briles in offering him a chance to once again lead young, impressionable men?

This isn’t a manifesto damning second chances, nor is it an unfair swipe at Art Briles. This is about facts, human nature, and not putting people in a position to fail … again.

The facts are that Art Briles was fired from Baylor in May 2016 when multiple allegations of sexual assault by his players began to surface. In a 2017 lawsuit, 52 acts of rape were reported involving 31 Baylor players. For the school’s part, they acknowledged that 17 women reported sexual or domestic violence involving 19 different Baylor players.

An excerpt from the findings of law firm Pepper Hamilton sums it all up:

"“In addition to broader university failings, Pepper found specific failings within both the football program and athletics department leadership, including a failure to identify and respond to a pattern of sexual violence by a football player, to take action in response to reports of a sexual assault by multiple football players and to take action in response to a report of dating violence. Pepper’s findings also reflect significant concerns about the tone and culture within Baylor’s football program as it relates to accountability for all forms of athlete misconduct,”"

The last sentence is legal-speak for something of which everyone in this business is aware…

The head coach always knows.

In the end, the sordid mess and scandal led to the firing of Briles as well as the resignation of athletic director Ian McCaw and university president Ken Starr. The NCAA has yet to (nor likely will) take any action.

Now, getting back to Jay Hopson and his rose-colored glasses…

Let’s just pull one sentence from Hopson’s misguided statement about Briles; “I believe he is a man who does love the Lord and deserves a second chance. He has been banned from a job in college football for three years and has been punished.”

I’m not in any position to say whether or not Art Briles loves the Lord, or even if that should have any bearing on his being considered for a position at a public university. What I do know is this – Art Briles deserves a second chance at life, not at coaching football in college or high school.

Hopson’s contention that three years of banishment is enough to make up for the pain, suffering and mental torture all those young women have faced and will face for the rest of their lives is laughable.

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I wonder what price Hopson would put on his daughter’s safety and mental stability? Of course, we’re talking about a coach who has –  per The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach –  recruited three different players with histories of sexual assault, two while he was head coach at Alcorn State and one since coming to Southern Miss.

But, I digress.

Art Briles has a problem. Much like an alcoholic or an addict, it’s a problem he has to face up to. Art Briles is so enamored by winning and bringing his teams into the bright, shining lights that he’s willing to sacrifice anything to keep it going.

In short, he’s addicted to winning and doesn’t care what it takes to make it happen. Had the public tide against domestic and sexual violence not turned in recent years he might still be coaching and covering up his players’ misdeeds.

That’s not the kind of person who needs to be charged with molding young lives. Head coach, assistant coach or otherwise, Art Briles should be banished from college and high school football for the rest of his life. Briles can proclaim his love for Jesus from the mountaintops if he likes, it still doesn’t make him worthy of a second chance in this field.

Second chances are great. We all deserve and usually get them. But it’s not always the second chance we want, but rather one we’re obligated to take. Many times, a second chance requires a life change which can be beneficial.

Art Briles wants to be involved in football? OK, great. There are plenty of other options aside from coaching college (or younger) players.

Give Art Briles a job behind the scenes with a professional football league (after all there are three of them now) where the players are adults and responsible for their own actions. There he can somewhat demonstrate his football acumen and not have a direct impact on the off-field behavior of grown-ass adults.

He could write books on football. He could be a film analyst off-camera, feeding information to commentators. Anything but coaching in the youth ranks.

The trouble with Art Briles isn’t what he did. It’s how long it went on and what it took to make the truth come out. He may be “sincere and humble” now, but it took the direst of results for him to get there. That alone should spell the end of any possible pairing between Art Briles and a college football program.