Eastern New Mexico Division II named Art Briles as its new head coach Monday morning.
“I am thrilled to welcome Art to Eastern New Mexico University,” athletic director Kevin Fite said in a statement. “He is a great coach and I look forward to the future of Greyhound football.”
Briles, 69, has not coached college football since 2016. He was fired from Baylor after a review of the school’s handling of sexual assault allegations made against several football players.
That investigation led to backlash whenever teams expressed interest in hiring Briles.
Grambling State caused an uproar in 2022 when the school attempted to tap Briles as offensive coordinator, leading him to withdraw his name from consideration in order to avoid a distraction.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats found themselves in a similar scenario in 2017, with the CFL team opting to rescind an offer to Briles the same day it was made.
Briles took responsibility months after his firing against Baylor in an interview with ESPN for what happened under his watch.
“I understand I made mistakes and I’m sorry,” he said. “But I’m not trying to plead for people’s sympathy. I’m just saying, ‘Hey, I made mistakes. I was wrong. I’m sorry. I’m going to learn. I’m going to do better.'”
A federal judge ruled in 2023 that Briles was not negligent in a case involving a Baylor student who said she was physically assaulted by one of the school’s football players in 2014. Briles ultimately received a $15.1 million settlement from Baylor after being fired with eight years remaining on his contract.
The Texas native coached in the Italian Football League and at a Texas high school after his firing from Baylor, where he went 65-37 in eight seasons and 3-3 in bowl games from 2008-15.
Briles also went 34-28 during five campaigns (2003-07) at Houston, where Fite served as associate athletic director for compliance and eligibility during Briles’ tenure.
–Field level media
