Report: Baylor to name Phil Bennett as interim head coach

The Baylor Bears are reportedly set to promote defensive coordinator Phil Bennett to head coach after the firing of Art Briles.

With less than 100 days to go until the start of the college football season, the Baylor Bears are making a coaching move in the wake of allegations regarding player arrests, alleged police coverups and the reaction of the coaching staff.

The school will part ways with head coach Art Briles, who spent eight seasons in charge of the team and led Baylor to a 65-37 record over that span and won two Big 12 Championships.

In response, Yahoo! Sports’ Pat Forde is reporting that Bears will stay in house when it comes to finding a new coach:

Kendal Briles is the son of Art and is currently Baylor’s offensive coordinator, taking that position before the 2015 season.

Baylor has been rocked over the past few years regarding player arrests for everything from domestic violence to alleged rape on campus, including cases brought on by female athletes at the school. ESPN’s Outside the Lines recently revealed that some arrests of football players are kept quiet by the Waco Police Department while coaches, including Art Briles, did nothing to punish players.

The recent scandals will also reportedly cost school president Ken Starr his job, as an independent investigation into the school’s response to allegations and charges is close to being completed.

Bennett previously served as a head coach for the SMU Mustangs from 2002 until 2007, finishing his stint at the school with a record of 18-52.

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