Why association with Art and Kendal Briles is so troubling
Last Saturday, Houston hired Kendal Briles as the football team’s new offensive coordinator, and there was immediate backlash, some Cougars’ fans saying they’d no longer buy tickets or make donations or attend games.
Then Sunday, the American Football Coaches Association announced that Art Briles would be speaking at its annual convention, and there was immediate backlash, forcing the group to cancel the session less than a day later.
Why does anyone align themselves with these guys?
You no doubt remember the Coaches Briles, father Art and son Kendal, as central figures in the sexual assault scandal at Baylor. Art lost his job because of the cover-up — and make no mistake, he got what he deserved— and both became toxic.
Still, college football continues to embrace them, and that gives you pause about the sport, its coaches and its leaders. Why would they want to be associated with men who’ve shown so little remorse about what happened?
Listen, I’m all for second chances. But Art and Kendal Briles have given little indication that they believe they did anything wrong. They surely haven’t been contrite or remorseful about the dozens of women who were violated and harmed because of the culture perpetuated by the coaching staff at Baylor. There was untold pain. Unbearable trauma.