Fansided

Report: Art Briles getting interest for Houston head coach job

By Patrick Schmidt

Nov 8, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles will interview at Houston, where he coached prior to coming to Baylor.

While candidates like Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre is not going to be the next head coach at Baylor, a few intriguing names are very much still in the mix.

Earlier in the week, it was reported Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will interview for the job after Saturday’s SEC Championship Game and former LSU head coach Les Miles will also hear what the Cougars have to say.

The job came open when Tom Herman left the program after two successful seasons to take the same job with the Texas Longhorns after Charlie Strong was fired after three losing seasons.

Now the most intriguing name of them all is mentioned as a candidate. Former Baylor head coach Art Briles will interview for the head coaching job at Houston, according to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy. While Briles is reportedly receiving ‘strong interest’ from Houston according to the report, Houston beat reporter Joseph Duarte from the Houston Chronicle reports it’s unlikely Briles interviews.

Update 12/3 1:00 p.m.: Houston released a statement saying Briles was the one who expressed interest in the Houston job but was rebuffed by university president and athletic director.

Briles was fired for the number of off-field issues at Baylor stemming from the school’s sexual assault scandal/epidemic. He was 65-37 in eight years at Baylor, including a 50-15 stretch in the last five years.

Prior to arriving at Baylor, Briles was the head coach at Houston from 2003-2007 where he compiled a 34-28 record and a 24-16 record in Conference USA. Should Briles get the job, I would anticipate him having similar success he had at Baylor and Houston won’t experience a steep drop-off like some are worried about with Herman leaving.

Briles has a lot of problems, but on-field coaching and offensive mastery are not among them. He can coach, but is he the type of person the university wants to lead the program considering the major backlash and public relations nightmare it would cause?

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We’ve seen a disgraced coach return home when Bobby Petrino returned to Louisville after a scandal ended his tenure at Arkansas, so it’s completely possible, Briles and Houston have a reunion.

Is it likely?

Perhaps, if Briles is set on coaching major college football in 2017, Houston may be his best chance.

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