After further review, CFL team won’t be hiring Briles

Less than 11 hours after the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL announced the hiring of former Baylor coach Art Briles as an assistant coach, the league and the team backtracked in the face of public pressure and said he will not be joining the team after all.

“Art Briles will no longer be joining the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a coach,” read a statement released Monday night from the CFL and the Tiger-Cats. “We came to this decision this evening following a lengthy discussion between the league and the Hamilton organization.”

Briles, 61, was fired in May 2016 by Baylor after an investigation by a law firm found that over several years the school mishandled numerous sexual assault allegations, some against football players. The Pepper Hamilton review also led to the departures of Baylor University President Kenneth Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw.

Briles has acknowledged making mistakes and apologized for some “bad things that went on under my watch.” He also has pushed back against some accusations made against him and his program in lawsuits and made clear that he wanted to return to coaching.

New Tiger-Cats coach June Jones, promoted last week from offensive assistant after the team’s 0-8 start, was ready to give Briles the opportunity to coach again. A little before noon eastern time, the Tiger-Cats tweeted out a news release announcing that Briles had been hired as assistant head coach of offense and celebrating his college record — though making no mention of his departure from Baylor.

Backlash came swiftly and from prominent voices and sponsors.

Tweeted former NHL star Theo Fleury, who was sexually abused by his junior coach: “If you knew and didn’t say anything then you are just as much a part of rape as the people who committed rape. Shame on #CFL.”