Art Briles resigns as Grambling State offensive coordinator four days after being hired

Four days after announcing Art Briles as Grambling State's new offensive coordinator, the embattled former football coach at Baylor resigned.

A Grambling State spokesperson told the News-Star on Monday that Briles had resigned but offered no details.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of your coaching staff at Grambling State University," Briles said in a statement. "Unfortunately, I feel that my continued presence will be a distraction to you and your team, which is the last thing that I want. I have the utmost respect the university, and the players."

Briles was confirmed as the offensive coordinator on Thursday by Grambling officials. Head coach Hue Jackson and his foundation put out a statement Monday morning supporting the new hire.

Briles has not coached in college since being fired at Baylor in 2016 after an internal investigation into the Texas university's handling of an extensive number of sexual assault accusations, including those against players on the football team during Briles' tenure. An NCAA investigation cleared Briles in August 2021 of any NCAA violations but was critical of Briles' actions at Baylor.

Jackson will have to search for his third offensive coordinator since he was hired. Ted White left to be the Houston Texans' quarterbacks coach earlier this month.

Before the season started, Briles would have had to get his contract and hire approved by the University of Louisiana System.

Mimi Methvin, who served on the UL System Board from 2019 until resigning Feb. 2, called Briles' hiring "concerning" Friday.

Methvin was a member of the board when the UL System began adding a Title IX clause to all new-hire term sheets or contracts last year. The clause requires employees to promptly report known violations of the UL System's sexual misconduct policy to the Title IX coordinator or deputy Title IX coordinator.

"The majority of students in the nine universities of the UL System are young women," Methvin said. "A couple of months ago, President Jim Henderson very candidly and I think accurately told a Senate committee that the vast under-reporting of sexual assaults on our campuses speaks to a lack of trust and confidence that women will be believed and supported. The hiring of this football coach ... does not serve to increase that confidence."

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Henderson added that the UL System Board helped pass legislation that "totally revamped" power-based violence reporting, response and prevention in Louisiana.

Grambling athletic director Trayvean Scott told ESPN Thursday that it took him 10 days of researching before supporting the decision to hire Briles.

"I think the guy just wants to coach and lead men," Scott told ESPN when asked specifically about what made him comfortable about hiring Briles when many other schools and organizations weren't. "We're not talking about a perfect situation or devaluing things done in the past and how it has has affected people. He's sympathetic and empathetic about what went on."

Before Briles was at Baylor, he coached at Houston (2003-07) and compiled an overall record of 99-65 with three bowl wins.

Briles spent 2018 as a coach in Italy and at a Texas high school from 2019-20.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League hired Briles as an assistant coach in 2017 before receiving backlash and announcing hours later that he would not join the team.

Briles' history at Baylor resurfaced again in 2019 after he was targeted for Southern Miss' offensive coordinator position. Then-coach Jay Hopson lobbied for Briles to be added to his staff but was overruled by the university's president and interim athletics director, according to reports.

This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Art Briles resigns as Grambling State offensive coordinator