When FAU coach Lane Kiffin elected to bring Kendal Briles from Boca Raton to Baylor, the Owls new they were treading on dangerous ground.
That’s what makes Friday’s news out of Dallas more expected than than surprising.
A law suit filed by a former Baylor student and reported on by The Dallas Morning News alleges that 31 football players combined to commit at least 52 acts of rape between 2011-14.
The same suit also alleges that Kendal Briles once told a recruit, “Do you like white women? Because we have a lot of them at Baylor and they love football players.”
Through a spokesperson, FAU athletic director Pat Chun declined to comment on the report. Kiffin’s hiring of Briles was approved by both Chun and university president Dr. John Kelly.
Briles, hired late last month to be the Owls’ offensive coordinator, wouldn’t be the first coach to attempt to lure a recruit to their school with the promise of friendly females.
Combine the statement, though, with what has been alleged to be a culture that failed to investigate, and even allegedly covered up sexual assault allegations, and those words can be interpreted to mean more than simple boiler-plate recruiting speil.
Art Briles, Kendal’s father, was the head coach of the Baylor football program during the time frame in question.
Baylor defensive end Sam Ukwuachu has already been convicted of sexual assault. A law firm hired by Baylor to investigate its own program found allegations of at least 17 rapes committed by Baylor football players. It concluded that the Bears placed a greater emphasis on the success of their football program than on the safety of their female students.
The report led to the dismissal of Art Briles. Kendal Briles was not named in the report. As the Bears offensive coordinator in 2016, he led Baylor to the No. 1-ranked offense in the nation.
FAU is currently hosting its final recruiting weekend – the first under Kiffin – heading toward the Feb. 1 National Signing Day.
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