Other than a written statement, Art Briles has hardly been heard from since his unceremonious exit from Baylor in late May in the wake of the sexual assault controversy that enveloped the university. For better or worse, that silence has been broken.
Tuesday, the 60-year-old Briles continued his tour of NFL training camps, visiting the Dallas Cowboys at their preseason home in Oxnard, California. After hobnobbing with owner Jerry Jones and boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya, as well as catching up with one of his former players, Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams, Briles spoke to the media and stated he was still “dumbfounded” over his firing but vowed to “redefine myself and start a new chapter” in his coaching career.
“I hope November, December, that’s the plan,” Briles said of when he hopes to resume coaching, presumably at the collegiate level. “Unfortunately some job will come open. I’ve never rooted against anybody or any team, but that’s the nature of the business, so we’ll see what happens then. But like I said it’s going to be a new journey and I’m excited to take it. I really am.”
After he was suspended with the intent to terminate May 26 but before his divorce from the school was made official June 24, Briles said in a statement that he has “certainly made mistakes and, in hindsight, I would have done certain things differently” in handling sexual assault allegations involving a handful of his Bears football players. Tuesday, Briles reinforced that stance.
“I’m just going to make sure that I have policies in place that are protective of everybody, students first and foremost and then administrators, coaches,” Briles said. “I don’t know. I’ve always been grateful for every chance I’ve been given to coach, so that’s never been an issue. But coming out now and being on the field, it surely makes you appreciate it even more because, it’s hard. ... It’s an honor and privilege to be in the game.”