RISK ASSESSMENT
UH acquired coaching talent when it hired Kendal Briles, but program must handle ex-Baylor assistant’s baggage
When the University of Houston hired Kendal Briles as its offensive coordinator, the football program sent a clear message.
It’s willing to take a massive risk if it means winning.
Briles, a former assistant under and son of Art Briles, steps into his new role with a lot of baggage and a questionable reputation.
He brings a top offensive mind and system to the Cougars, but he also brings a lot of questions about the morals and ethics of the coaching staff.
And it isn’t because his last name is Briles.
This isn’t about his bloodline. It’s about a coach who is named in a pending lawsuit, has broken NCAA recruiting rules and has been questionable through his actions and social media practices in the past.
Kendal Briles is a controversial choice for the coaching staff and one UH could have done without.
The fact that coach Major Applewhite, new athletic director Chris Pezman, regent Tilman Fertitta and president Renu Khator let this hire happen is worrisome. It sends a message that winning is more important than morals when football is involved.
Scandal ongoing
The Baylor scandal isn’t over. More information is coming. Lawsuits are pending. More victims are coming forward.
It’s clear at this point that several members of the football staff had knowledge that players were committing illegal acts, including sexual assault.
Text messages and emails have surfaced and prove Art had knowledge of and helped cover up several of the acts.
Kendal was an assistant coach when the Philadelphia law firm Pepper Hamilton released its “Finding of Fact” after investigating Baylor’s practices and policies after a football player was accused of raping another student.
In the report, there are five references to “coaches” and “football staff ” engaging in behavior that stifled university and criminal investigations.
Kendal isn’t named directly, but it’s risky to assume he wasn’t involved.
When Art was fired — and rightfully so — from his coaching duties, Kendal took to social media to defend him, victim-shame the women who came forward and deny wrongdoing.
It is understandable for a son to want to defend his father, but in doing so he aligned himself with someone who knowingly broke federal Title IX regulations. He never has publicly acknowledged there was any wrongdoing at Baylor — nor has anyone from the staff.
No admissions made
Admitting things at Baylor were bad, that women were assaulted, that the football program was breaking rules and laws left and right would go a long way. Stating that those acts were terrible and regrettable would mean something. It would show Kendal and the other assistants learned from the mistakes that were made. It has yet to happen. Kendal is named in a pending lawsuit — one of several Title IX civil suits filed against Baylor — that alleges he tried to attract recruits by saying female students at Baylor liked the players.
“Do you like white women? Because we have a lot of them at BAYLOR and they LOVE football players,” Briles told a Dallas-area recruit, the lawsuit alleges.
Three players from the Houston area, who compete in other programs, say that when Kendal recruited them he made mention of female students at the university being available to football players.
Those are red flags UH should not ignore. And now that he’s on the Cougars’ staff and will recruit, the school would be wise to watch his interactions.
Prior to the issues pertaining to the school’s sexual assault scandal, Kendal received an NCAA sanction for recruiting violations during the 2015 season. He had improper contact with a recruit and was suspended for one game along with assistants Jeff Lebby and Tate Wallis.
The infractions came when the three attended a track meet and tried to skirt the rules of communicating with and evaluating a football recruit.
And what about Art?
In addition to the care the school needs to take by keeping a close eye on Kendal’s recruiting practices, it needs to be wary of him allowing his father to be involved in any coaching decisions.
While at Florida Atlantic University last season, Kendal said he spoke to Art every day about the offense.
Since there is proof Art covered up scandal at Baylor, he should not be allowed to interact with UH players or coaches in any way. He will undoubtedly be around now that Kendal is, but UH officials need to be careful about his involvement with the team because there is a faction of Cougars alumni that still likes the elder Briles for his days as the Houston coach.
UH made the hire with its offense in mind, but bringing on Kendal also will train a spotlight and a magnifying glass on the program.
Because of his involvement at Baylor and his sordid past, Kendal will be watched closely.
Maybe UH will win more games, maybe the Cougars will be a lot better.
But the character of the school’s coaching staff will be analyzed. It will be watched closely and scrutinized heavily. Other candidates out there
This is a risky hire and one that brings up a lot of questions. Too many questions. With so many great football coaches out there, particularly in the state of Texas, it’s not worth bringing one with so much baggage to the university.
UH’s football team won’t be judged for its play on the field for the foreseeable future.
It will be judged for hiring someone who has scandal following him.