Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Kiffin avoids allegations against coordinator Briles
BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin declined to address the allegations against offensive coordinator Kendal Briles mentioned in a lawsuit filed against Baylor.
“We obviously have a policy of not addressing any allegations at any other university,” Kiffin said. “Today’s focused on our class and we’re excited about this class. We’re still going to work on it throughout the night.
“We’re excited about our coaching staff. I feel like we brought a very dynamic coaching staff here that I think, as you could see today, guys are excited about playing for.”
Wednesday’s National Signing Day was the first time Kiffin spoke publicly since a lawsuit filed against Baylor alleged Briles, while at Baylor, pitched recruits by saying white women at the school loved football players. FAU Athletic Director Pat Chun was not at the news conference.
“Do you like white women? Because we have a lot of them at Baylor and they love football players,” Briles allegedly said to a Dallas-area recruit, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed Friday by a Virginia woman (using the pseudonym Elizabeth Doe) after she claimed she was raped by two Baylor football players: Tre’Von Armstead and Shamycheal Chatman. Doe claimed to be aware of 52 rapes by at least 31 players from 2011 to 2014.
The suit did not explicitly mention Briles again, though it did allege that Baylor operated under a “show ’em a good time” policy while recruiting prospects. Baylor allegedly took recruits to strip clubs, used alcohol and drugs to woo prospects and made women in its hostess program available for sex to recruits, according to the suit.
Prior to Friday’s suit, Briles was not implicated in the Baylor sex scandal that cost his father, Art Briles, the head coaching job at the school. The university president and athletic director also lost their posts.
In law firm Pepper Hamilton’s 13-page report released by Baylor last May, the document did not name any members of the football staff, but did note their missteps in response to sexual assaults. The report said the staff “took improper steps in response to disclosures of sexual assault or dating violence” and that its in-house discipline conflicted with student council or criminal processes.
“Football coaches and staff had inappropriate involvement in disciplinary and criminal matters or engaged in improper conduct that reinforced an overall perception that football was above the rules, and that there was no culture of accountability for misconduct,” the report said.
Kendal Briles remained on staff in 2016 under acting head coach Jim Grobe, but once wrote “CAB” on his hands for his father “Coach Art Briles.” He also sent out a tweet in November that defended his father’s actions in properly reporting a sexual assault.
Kendal Briles spent the past two seasons as Baylor’s offensive coordinator and the previous seven at Baylor in lesser roles. In 2015, his Baylor offense led the country in total offense (616.2 yards per game) and was second in rushing yards per game (326.7).