On May 26th of this year, Baylor University football coach Art Briles was suspended indefinitely by the Baylor Board of Regents until they were legally allowed to fire him. Less than a month later, reports indicate the suspension may just last one year.
That’s right, it looks like Briles may not be fired after all. The same head coach who reportedly knew about massive sexual assault scandals and yet didn’t really do much about it could just earn a one-year suspension.
Briles would need enough votes from the board of regents during one of their meetings when they decide on his fate to return after one year in 2017. He has already been suspended for at least a year at the moment. The vote will come on Monday and is being backed by some of the bigger football and “big-money” donors at the school, according to Scout.com.
It’s been reported that the reason behind the rethinking aren’t just the bigger donors either. Some believe the major issues with the scandal including the school’s lack of a Title IX coordinator from 2011-2014 should fall solely on former President Ken Starr. After being relieved of his Presidential duties only to stay on as Chancellor on May 26th, Starr later told ESPN on June 1st he would resign.
Once again, it’s money that’s factoring into all of this. Scout.com reported its sources said the big-money donors that helped the school build the $300 million dollar football stadium in 2014 would stop donating to the University if Briles doesn’t return in 2017.
The vote on whether or not Briles should be the head coach after his one-year suspension is up prior to the 2017 season is reportedly today. Tomorrow, if the vote doesn’t go his way, the school would have to settle with Briles. His contract had about $40 million guaranteed over the next eight years of his deal.
Former Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe was recently hired to take over the football program and said he’d keep Briles’ offensive and defensive staffs with him in Waco with him.
The Baylor football program is also not releasing recruits from their letters of intent during the scandal, which is small potatoes in the grand scheme o things.
