By Europe’s Elite
The Grambling State Tigers have some new faces coming to the side line this fall. Earlier this month the college football world was excited to see former Clevland Brown Head Coach Hue Jackson , accept the position as Head Coach at Grambling State University. Now the Tigers, who are recognized as a historically black college and compete at the NCAA divsion 1 FCS level, have hired Art Briles as their new offensive coordinator. Coach Briles was last seen at the college football level in 2016 as the head coach at the University of Baylor.
Coach Briles, now 66 years old, has had an interesting journey with football since his exit from the college ranks back in 2016. In August of 2018 Briles was hired as the head coach of the Guelfi Firenze in Florence ,Italy. In his first and only full season with the Firenze, Briles lead the team to an 8-3 record. After the 2019 season in Italy, Briles returned to his home state of Texas where he was a head coach at Mount Vern High School. After two seasons at the high school football level , coach Briles is being given an opporunity to return to college football.
Coach Briles return to college football has left many college football fans torn in how to feel. Some fans are excited to see Grabling State hire a coach with a strong football resume like Briles. While many college football fans have not forgotten the stain that coach Briles left on the University of Baylor in 2016. In the spring of 2016 coach Briles was fired after a lengthy investigation into numerous sexual assault allegations that were placed on members of the 2012-2016 Baylor Bears football team. The investigation found that coach Briles and his staff lacked apporiate action towards the players in the allegations.
It goes without saying that this being a part of coach Briles history has raised a few question marks in the football community. But Head Coach Hue Jackson and Grambling State athletic director Trayvean Scott believe in 2nd chances.
“I’m rooted in fact.I know a lot of things are said and done. We felt it [was appropriate] to give him a chance to reallyredeem himself after understanding where the facts lie.” – Trayvean Scott via ESPN
In an interview with KTAL-TV in Shreveport, Louisiana Briles had this to say about his plans with Grambling State.
“I’ll do exactly what I’m required to do and what they expect of me, which is to be a very solid citizen, to be a positive leader on a day in and day out basis, to do everything I can do to protect our students and our student-athletes on campus and to represent the Grambling University to the best of my ability because I’m very humble and grateful to be at this university,”