UH president Khator OK with football hires
University of Houston president Renu Khator said Saturday she was comfortable with the findings of an external investigation to sign off on the hiring of two formerBaylor football assistants.
Khator said the university “did our job” by conducting a thorough investigation before coach Major Applewhite added Kendal Briles and Randy Clements to his coaching staff Jan. 6. Briles was hired as associate head coach/offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and Clements will serve as run game coordinator/offensive line coach.
Neither Briles nor Clements was implicated in a sexual assault scandal that rocked Baylor, costing coach Art Briles, athletic director Ian McCaw and president Ken Starr their jobs.
“We wanted to make sure that we have every guarantee that our program will be absolutely the highest ethical standards,” Khator said in her first public comments on the hires.
A morality clause is included in the contract for both coaches, which gives UH the right to terminate if any information from their time at Baylor comes out that has not previously been disclosed.
In other college football news:
• Former UH coach Tony Levine said he is leaving the profession to spend time with his family and pursue other interests.
Levine, 45, who went 21-17 in three seasons at UH from 2012-14, spent last season working with special teams and tight ends and as co-offensive coordinator at Purdue.
• Washington State coach Mike Leach said there were no outward signs that would have alarmed coaches or teammates before Tyler Hilinski took his own life.
Hilinski died Tuesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Leach said the 21-year-old had shown no signs of depression. Hilinski was Washington State’s presumptive starting quarterback going into next season.
• Texas Tech’s Nic Shimonek threw a 34yard touchdown pass to the University of Houston’s Steven Dunbar with 1:23 left to give the West a 14-10 victory in the 93rd East-West Shrine game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Wisconsin safety Natrell Jamerson returned J.T. Barrett’s fumble 68 yards for the West’s other score.
• LSU defensive tackle Frank Herron returned a fumble for a late touchdown, and Penn State linebacker Troy Apke earned MVP honors, helping the National team stifle the American team 23-0 in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl at Pasadena, Calif.