Former Baylor coach Art Briles is back working in college football after nearly a decade as the Division II program Eastern New Mexico hired him late on Sunday night. The hiring was made official on Monday morning.
Eastern New Mexico fired coach Kelley Lee after the team went 3–8 during the 2025 season.
“I am excited to welcome Art to Eastern New Mexico University,” athletic director Kevin Fite said in a statement. “He is an excellent coach, and I look forward to the future of Greyhound football.”
Briles was infamously fired from Baylor in 2016 after it was found how poorly he handled sexual assault allegations made about several of his football players. Briles received a $15.1 million settlement from Baylor as he was fired with eight years remaining on his contract.
He hasn’t been able to get a job in college football since until Eastern New Mexico popped up. Briles was briefly considered for the offensive coordinator role at Grambling State in 2022, but he stepped back after there was backlash from the public.
While not working in college football, Briles has remained in football roles here and there. He coached Guelfi Firenze in the Italian Football League and then at Mount Vernon High School for two seasons.
In 2023, Briles was found to be not negligent in a case involving a Baylor female student who alleged one of the football players assaulted her in 2014.
Briles made quite the name for himself in the coaching world when working with Baylor from 2008–15. He earned the 2013 AP College Football Coach of the Year award, won two Big 12 championship titles and led the team to six bowl games. Robert Griffin III famously won the Heisman Trophy under Briles in 2011.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Art Briles Returns to College Football After Being Hired by Division II Program.
