Or, with an alternate headline: “Hands off Texas, others.”
Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday evening that Baylor and head coach Art Briles have reached an agreement on a three-year contract extension. When added to the eight-year extension he signed last year, Briles is now signed through the 2023 season.
Briles would be 68 years old in the final year of the new contract.
The university subsequently confirmed that the new deal was approved by regents Wednesday night.
“Art Briles and Baylor are a wonderful fit,” athletic director Ian McCaw said in a statement. “We are grateful for his long-term commitment and desire to lead Baylor football forward for many years to come. Baylor Nation is indebted to Coach Briles for his vision, passion and dedication to rebuilding Baylor football and turning it into a destination job.”
As Baylor is a private university, they are not compelled to release the financials details of Briles’ contract. Under the terms of his last deal, Briles was reportedly set to average $3.5 annually through 2020; it’s fair to say that an enhanced compensation package is part of this new deal.
The most important aspect of the deal, Carlton reported, is that it contains significant buyout language; what the exact number of the buyout would be is not detailed. Briles name has come up in connection to a USC job that’s already open and a University of Texas job that’s not, although neither of those well-heeled athletic departments would blink at most eight-figure sums.
In his six-plus seasons with the Bears, Briles has compiled a 41-30 overall record and a 22-25 mark in Big 12 play. The past two-plus seasons, BU is 26-8, including a spotless 8-0 mark that has them ranked No. 4 nationally and in line for its first-ever BCS bowl and, possibly, first-ever appearance in the BCS title game.