Briles was fired by Baylor in May 2016 after an external investigation into sexual assault allegations found school and football administrators failed to properly address the allegations.

A report by law firm Pepper Hamilton found that “in some instances, the University failed to take steps to identify and eliminate a potential hostile environment, prevent its recurrence, or remedy its effects”. The report found that 17 women had reported incidents of sexual assault or sexual violence involving 19 football players and that Briles had been informed of at least one of them but had not reported it to authorities. local, as other administrators have done.

Briles denied being involved in a cover-up at Baylor.

“Let’s be clear: I have not covered up any sexual abuse,” he wrote in an open letter in 2017. “I have had no contact with anyone claiming to be a victim of sexual or domestic assault. Anyone familiar with my work as a coach knows that I have strived to promote excellence, but never at the sacrifice of anyone’s safety.

Former Grambling star quarterback Doug Williams, who went to the NFL and led Washington to victory in Super Bowl XXII, claiming MVP honors, said he was disappointed with the hire. Williams, now a special adviser to Commanders chairman Jason Wright, said he’s spoken to Grambling’s athletic director Trayveon Scott several times and the program knows where it stands on hiring.

“I don’t know Art Briles; I’ve never met him in my life,” said Williams, who also twice coached Grambling. “But the situation, no one else would hire him for any reason. I don’t know why Grambling State had to be the one to hire him, so I’m not a fan at all.

When asked if he would continue to support the program, Williams replied, “Oh, no. I can not do that. No no no. If I support them, I tolerate them.

“I’m actually rooted,” Scott told ESPN on Thursday. “I know a lot of things are said and done. We felt it [was appropriate] to give [Briles] a chance to truly redeem yourself after figuring out where the facts lie.

In August, the NCAA’s infraction committee said it could not conclude that Baylor violated NCAA rules with its actions regarding the sexual assault allegations, but placed the school on probation for four years. years for other violations that occurred between 2011 and 2016, including recruitment violations. and ineligible benefits provided to a player.

Briles, 66, went 65-37 in eight seasons at Baylor and led the program to two Big 12 championships. In 2017, he came close to being named assistant coach of the CHL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats football before the league intervened and the team changed course. Southern Mississippi considered him their offensive coordinator in 2019 before school administrators reversed that move after public backlash.

After spending a year coaching in Italy, Briles was hired by Mount Vernon High in Texas, serving as head coach in 2019 and 2020. At the time of Briles’ hire, the Mount Independent School District Superintendent Vernon said he was vetted, but that process did not include speaking to any of Baylor’s victims or NCAA officials.

Jackson and Briles have some history — Jackson brought Briles on as a guest to help out with the Browns’ offensive coaching staff in 2016, months after he was fired by Baylor.