Artwork Briles is ready to grow to be the subsequent coach at Jap New Mexico, a Division II program, as he makes his return to varsity soccer after practically a decade, sources instructed ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Sunday night time, confirming a report.
Briles, 69, has not labored at a university program since being fired as Baylor’s head coach in 2016, following a assessment of the college’s dealing with of sexual assault allegations made in opposition to a number of soccer gamers. He since has had two stints teaching for Guelfi Firenze within the Italian Soccer League, and at Mount Vernon Excessive College in Texas from 2019 to 2020.
In 2022, Grambling State tried to rent Briles as offensive coordinator, however following a backlash, Briles instructed the college simply 4 days later that he wouldn’t pursue the function, saying he did not wish to be a distraction to the group. An identical state of affairs occurred in 2017 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Soccer League, who tried to rent Briles however then pulled their provide on the identical day, amid backlash.
Jap New Mexico athletic director Kevin Fite served as affiliate athletics director for compliance and eligibility at Houston when Briles served as the college’s head coach. Briles, who constructed his popularity as an offensive innovator at Texas excessive colleges earlier than getting into the school ranks, went 99-65 because the coach at Baylor and Houston with three convention titles. He led Baylor to 10 or extra wins in 4 of his last 5 seasons there.
A number of months after his firing from Baylor, Briles, in an interview with ESPN, apologized for what occurred underneath his watch of this system.
“I perceive that I made some errors, and for that I am sorry,” he stated then. “However I am not attempting to plead for individuals’s sympathy. I am simply stating that, ‘Hey, I made some errors. I used to be unsuitable. I am sorry. I’ll study. I’ll do higher.”
In 2023, a federal choose dominated that Briles was not negligent in a case involving a feminine Baylor pupil who reported being bodily assaulted by one of many college’s soccer gamers in 2014. Briles, who led Baylor’s program from 2008 to 2015, acquired a $15.1 million settlement from Baylor, which fired him with eight years remaining on his contract.
Mark Berman, the previous sports activities director at KRIV Fox 26 in Houston, first reported the information of Briles’ hiring at Jap New Mexico.