Art Briles has resigned at Grambling State in the face of huge backash to his hiring
And for once, logic and common sense have prevailed.
Art Briles is out at Grambling State as its offensive coordinator less than a week after being hired.
In a statement Monday, Briles told Grambling: “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of your coaching staff at Grambling State University. Unfortunately, I feel that my continued presence will be a distraction to you and your team, which is the last thing that I want. I have the utmost respect (for) the university, and your players.”
Briles was considered one of the top offensive coaches in the country when he led Baylor from 2008-15, leading the program to a 65-37 record. He left the program in disarray and scandal.
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar astutely summed up why Briles had no place at the school after his hiring was announced.
Oree Banks. Todd Bowles. Rod Broadway. Vyron Brown. Eric Dooley. Broderick Fobbs. Lee Fobbs. Emory Hines. Ozias Johnson. Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones. Mickey Joseph. Bob Leahy. Tyrone McGriff. Gabe Northern. Heishma Northern. Trei Oliver. Doug Porter. Eddie Robinson (of course). George Small. James Spady. Melvin Spears. Sam Washington. Doug Williams. Dennis Winston.
All great men who have coached at Grambling State University, perhaps the crown jewel of all HBCU schools from a football perspective.
Art Briles does not belong in their company, but as of now, that’s exactly where Briles lives. This thanks to Hue Jackson, the former NFL head coach and offensive coach who became Grambling’s 14th head coach last December. It was Jackson’s decision to hire Briles as his offensive coordinator, which officially happened on Thursday.
This is the same Art Briles who has been out of college coaching since May, 2016, when Baylor officials suspended him with intent to terminate after sexual assault allegations were made against a number of school athletes, including Briles’ players. In May, 2016, Briles was fired. He later reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the university. Baylor president Ken Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw were suspended, and left the university soon after an internal investigation.
Grambling State coach Hue Jackson attempted to defend his hiring of Briles but all it did was create more backlash.
Now, Briles is out and one has to wonder what the school administration thinks it has in Jackson.
Former Grambling and NFL star Doug Williams put the decision on blast to The Washington Post.
“I don’t know Art Briles; I’ve never met him in my life,” said Williams, who also had two stints as Grambling’s coach. “But the situation, nobody else would hire him for whatever reason. I don’t know why Grambling State had to go be the one to hire him, so I’m not a fan at all.”
Asked whether he would continue to support the program, Williams said: “Oh, no. I can’t do that. No, no, no. If I support them, I condone it.”
Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have heard about Hue Jackson and Art Briles and some very weird tweets and wondered what’s up with that. We’re here to help.
Art Briles is back coaching college football, with Grambling State hiring the former disgraced Baylor coach as an offensive coordinator.
It’s a decision that has rocked the college football world, and rightfully so. But it was made MUCH worse when the foundation for Grambling head coach Hue Jackson tweeted a statement in support of Briles … and that’s just the beginning.
Tennessee-Ole Miss: Inside the coaching tree, connections from studying Baylor’s offense
“I saw it very close watching the Washington-Baylor bowl game that was in the 60s. I just was kind of enamored with it for awhile and started to study some of it and use some it at Alabama. I just said, ‘Alright, if I get a head job again, this is what I want to do’. It really is amazing — the system — and credit to Art Briles.”–Lane Kiffin
“When we were at Missouri, we set a Power Five record for the fewest amount of zero negative yard plays and then reset the record the following year. When we took over at Missouri, they were 125th in the country in total offense. We ended up leading the league for two straight years in total offense. We’re very balanced in our approach. You look at our numbers, run and pass, we’re extremely balanced, so our ability for us, it really starts with the run game. It starts with the five guys up front, your tight ends, if they’re playing. They’re located in the core. Then our running backs have to be great with the football in their hands.”–Josh Heupel
John Flynn played at Oklahoma on the offensive line from 2001-04.
He arrived at Oklahoma one year after Josh Heupel guided the Sooners to the 2000 BCS national championship as a starting quarterback.
Heupel returned to Oklahoma in 2003 after a stint playing in the NFL. From 2003-04, Heupel was a graduate assistant at Oklahoma.
Flynn served as a graduate assistant on offense for the Sooners from 2007-11, while Heupel was quarterbacks coach (2006-10) and offensive coordinator (2011).
Flynn joined the show “Football Two-A-Days” ahead of Tennessee (4-2, 2-1 SEC) playing No. 14 Ole Miss (4-1, 1-1 SEC).
The matchup pits Heupel versus Ole Miss and former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin will receive a lot of attention as he returns to Tennessee for the first time as a head coach, but the matchup features an extensive coaching tree of an offensive system that is at the forefront of college football.
During Heupel’s tenure as UCF’s head coach, Jeff Lebby served as quarterbacks coach in 2018 and was elevated to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019. Lebby served as a student assistant coach from 2002-06 when Heupel was a graduate assistant and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma.
Central Florida quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. (8) warms up as quarterbacks coach Jeff Lebby, right, and head coach Josh Heupel, left, watch before an NCAA college football game against Connecticut Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)Head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby of the Mississippi Rebels looks on prior to facing the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 02, 2021 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Lebby is in his second season calling plays as Ole Miss’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
He is the son-in-law of former Baylor head coach Art Briles. From 2008-16, Lebby served in various positions on staff under Briles.
Heupel was hired as Missouri’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2016 and hired Joe Jon Finley on staff as his tight ends coach. Finley came to Missouri after serving as offensive quality control at Baylor under Briles. That is when Heupel began studying and implementing Baylor’s offense into his scheme using wide splits and veer and shoot concepts.
Finley served as passing game coordinator and tight ends coach in 2020 under Kiffin and Lebby at Ole Miss before replacing Shane Beamer as tight ends coach on Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma staff this season.
“It is kind of funny when you kind of zoom out and look at the big picture, look at all of these people that have had some sort of tie to somebody else,” Flynn said. “I am telling you, it is a gigantic brotherhood. It just goes to show you, that you are constantly connecting and talking ball, coming up with new concepts. Maybe you are on staff with somebody and all of a sudden you go different ways and you end up playing each other later on.
“When you kind of zoom in and look at it behind the scenes, what a lot of fans don’t necessarily realize is that the coaching tree is a pretty good size. What a lot of fans don’t see, is there is going to be a lot fans that look at Tennessee and see it is Tennessee versus Ole Miss. That is just what they see, it is on the surface. It’s Lane Kiffin, it’s Josh Heupel, and Lane Kiffin used to be the head coach here and there is some animosity. What they don’t see, they don’t zoom in even further, and there is a lot more to this game and a lot more background to this game than a lot of people realize.”
Oct 15, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Missouri Tigers assistant coach/tight ends Joe Jon Finley during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
John David Baker replaced Finley as Ole Miss’ passing game coordinator and tight ends coach in 2021.
Baker’s first FBS coaching position was serving as offensive quality control at North Texas under head coach and former Oklahoma running back Seth Littrell. Littrell was a teammate of Heupel at Oklahoma from 1999-2000.
Jake Thornton is in his first season as the Rebels’ offensive line coach. He came to Ole Miss after serving as running game coordinator and offensive line coach at Gardner Webb (2020) and Tennessee Tech (2018-19).
At Tennessee Tech from 2018-19, Tre Lamb served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Lamb is now serving as Gardner–Webb’s head coach since 2020.
Lamb has tailored his offensive philosophies and concepts from studying the likes of Heupel’s veer-and-shoot style.
In 2019, Kelsey Pope served as Lamb’s wide receivers coach at Tennessee Tech. Lamb hired Pope to serve as his passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Gardner-Webb. Pope departed Gardner-Webb as Heupel hired him as an offensive analyst at Tennessee.
Oct. 13, 2007; Norman, OK; Oklahoma Sooners offensive tackle Phil Loadholt (79) drops into pass protection against the Missouri Tigers at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Sooners beat the Tigers 41-31. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Phil Loadholt is serving as an offensive analyst at Ole Miss.
Loadholt played offensive tackle at Oklahoma for Heupel and Flynn from 2007-08 after transferring from Garden City Community College. He was a second round NFL draft selection in 2009.
The entire show with Flynn can be listened to here or below. Flynn discusses both team’s offense and the coaches in the Tennessee-Ole Miss matchup.
Kansas hires Mike DeBord as offensive coordinator.
Mike DeBord has been hired as Kansas’ offensive coordinator.
DeBord served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Vols from 2015-16.
Kansas head coach Les Miles was pursuing a veteran offensive coordinator with a proven track record in the NFL and Power Five ranks for his staff.
“We are adding a coach with a wealth of experience in Mike,” Miles said in a press release. “He has squared off with just about every defensive scheme in the book, and has worked within and led several offensive systems.
“In addition to the qualities he brings as a football coach, he is a man of high character, and will be an outstanding addition to our program as we continue to instill the culture we want in place.”
☑️ 16 bowl games ☑️ 50+ players to the NFL ☑️ 5 NFL QBs ☑️ National Champion
Please help us welcome Offensive Coordinator Mike DeBord to the family!
Miles and DeBord coached alongside each other from 1993-94 at Michigan.
“I have had the honor of working alongside Mike before, as have some of the best coaches in college football and the NFL,” Miles said. “He makes his fellow coaches better, and will have an instant impact on the Jayhawks.”
DeBord previously joined the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” to discuss his career and coaching at Tennessee.
Jarrett Stidham’s voyage from Stephenville, Texas to Foxborough, Mass. was a long one marked by numerous changes of fortune. When Stidham was nine years old he relocated to central Texas with his mother and older brother. At 18, he left home and …
Jarrett Stidham’s voyage from Stephenville, Texas to Foxborough, Mass. was a long one marked by numerous changes of fortune.
When Stidham was nine years old he relocated to central Texas with his mother and older brother. At 18, he left home and moved in with Matt and Katy Copeland, a Stephenville couple who own several college apparel stores in Iowa, Texas, and Florida. The talented young athlete was not raised int he greatest of circumstances and his personal life is not a topic he divulges on. He relied on football for comfort long before the Copleands accepted him as one of their own. This is where his journey begins.
(Jarrett Stidham and his wife Kennedy pictured with Katy and Matt Copeland in 2018)
“I probably love the kid even more because his home dynamics were so rough,” former Stephenville High School football coach Joseph Gillespie said about Stidham. Before he became The University of Tulsa’s defensive coordinator, Gillespie served as Stephenville’s athletic director and head football coach for seven years. It was during his seven year career at Stephenville that Gillespie realized he had caught lightning in a bottle with Jarrett Stidham.
Stidham began his playing career at Stephenville as a wide receiver. By the time he was a sophomore he’d already received multiple Division I offers to play quarterback. The Yellowjackets went on to win the state championship Stidham’s sophomore year, during which Gillespie said, “Jarrett never complained once. He handled it with grace, and that’s hard to do at that age.”
Stidham earned the starting quarterback job as a senior in 2014. He finished his high school career with 2,934 total passing yards for 35 touchdowns as well as 969 rushing yards for 15 touchdowns. Gillespie credited the Copelands for helping Stidham thrive. The road from wide receiver to starting quarterback wasn’t an easy one, but Gillespie says, “if it weren’t for them it would have been a rougher road.”
By the spring of 2015, Stidham was classified by Rivals.com as the sixth-best dual-threat quarterback in his class which caught the eye of former Stephenville football coach Art Briles who was the head coach of Baylor at the time. By the summer it was official, the 4-star quarterback was leaving Stephenville to play football at Baylor.
At the start of his true freshman season Stidham was playing as the backup to Seth Russell. Stidham saw action in the first seven games before he took over as the starter when Russell suffered a season-ending neck injury. Stidham started for Baylor in three games before an ankle injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
And then all hell broke loose.
In 2016, a scathing report revealed that much of Baylor University’s football staff had failed to take disciplinary action surrounding alleged rape and sexual assault allegations made against three Baylor football players. The scandal saw the end of Briles’ tenure at the school as well as the destruction of the program’s reputation. After all of this and an unsatisfactory freshman season, Stidham left and transferred to McLennan Community College.
Stidham attended McLennan for only one season before he announced he would be transferring to Auburn. McLennan did not have a football program, so to sharpen his skills he asked Midway High School’s football coach Jeff Hulme if it would be okay to sharpen his skills at their practice field. Hulme obliged and Stidham showed up to the field every day before practice began.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback would’ve liked to have flown under the radar the entire semester, but when a mysterious NFL caliber athlete shows up on a high school practice field in Texas it’s going to cause mass hysteria.
Which it did.
Hulme honored Stidham’s wishes to remain incognito as long as possible, but when school started the coach had to reveal Stidham’s identity to quell any surrounding gossip. After his secret was revealed Stidham continued to practice his skills on Midway’s scout team. It was an experience that proved to be beneficial in readying Stidham for his SEC arrival.
As a redshirt sophomore, Stidham won the starting quarterback job at Auburn. In his first season he went on to win the SEC West after defeating both Georgia and Alabama who were both ranked number one at the time. He finished the season with 3,158 passing yards which places him second all-time behind Dameyune Craig in Auburn’s single season passing leaders.
Former Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey compared Stidham to former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and said that Stidham is just “wired the right way,” and that he “ran the gauntlet in the SEC.” As Stidham entered his junior year, many thought he was a first-round draft pick and a potential Heisman contender, but things didn’t quite come together like they should’ve that season. After finishing the year with a convincing bowl win, Stidham declared for the 2019 NFL Draft and was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn says New England is just the place Stidham wants to be:
“This is what he’s been wanting. He’s been looking forward to the moment. It’s really not any deeper than that. If you’d given Jarrett a choice in the matter, I bet he would have picked New England and hoped to follow Tom Brady.”
Chip Lindsey’s comparison of Stidham to Newton only gets better with the two competing against each other in New England’s quarterback race. ESPN’s Tim Keown details his prediction of Stidham’s future:
“If Stidham doesn’t take over for Brady this season (assuming there is one), there’s a good chance he will in 2021. At just 31, Newton is looking to put together a season that creates one more big contract, which means if he’s good he’ll be too expensive and if he’s bad he’ll be on his own. Which will, one more time, direct the focus back to Stidham.”
Whenever the moment arrives it won’t be one that is too big for Jarrett Stidham. The road he took from Stephenville, Texas hit a road bump at Baylor, took a detour at Midway, and merged onto the expressway in Auburn that would eventually send him 1,173 miles north to Foxborough, Massachusetts. In total Stidham has traveled 2,032 miles to be where he is today.
“The quarterback from Texas” as he is affectionately known by Auburn fans and one dimensional sports broadcasters everywhere is reportedly putting up a tough fight against Newton in the NFL’s most watched quarterback race. New quarterback race developments here.
Fighting for his dreams isn’t a foreign concept to Jarrett Stidham, it’s what he’s been doing all of his life.
