Art Briles resigns as Grambling State offensive coordinator after backlash
from Adam Stites, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
Four days after Grambling State hired Art Briles as the team’s new offensive coordinator, and on the same day head coach Hue Jackson defended the hire in a lengthy statement, Briles resigned from the position Monday afternoon.
“Unfortunately, I feel that my continued presence will be a distraction to you and your team, which is the last thing that I want,” Briles told the team in a statement, via Pete Thamel of ESPN. “I have the utmost respect (for) the university, and your players.”
Briles, 66, spent five seasons as the head coach at Houston and eight at Baylor before he was fired in 2016. The dismissal came after an investigation revealed mishandling of sexual assault allegations made against Baylor players.
The investigation “found specific failings within both the football program and Athletics Department leadership, including a failure to identify and respond to a pattern of sexual violence by a football player, to take action in response to reports of a sexual assault by multiple football players, and to take action in response to a report of dating violence.”
Grambling State’s four days of having Briles on staff were reminiscent of the Hamilton TigerCats’ hire of Briles in 2017. Shortly after hiring him, the Canadian Football League team reversed course and cut ties with the coach.