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After more than a decade away from the sidelines, Art Briles is once again part of the college football landscape. The 70-year-old coach, who last led Baylor to a victory in the 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl, has taken the helm at Eastern New Mexico University, a Division II program in Portales. His return, described by Briles as "out of the blue," came about through a conversation with ENMU Athletic Director Kevin Fite, a former colleague from their time together at Houston two decades ago.
Briles, a native of Rule, Texas, brings an impressive pedigree to the Greyhounds. He was named the Associated Press National Coach of the Year in 2013 and won four state championships at Stephenville High School in Texas. His offensive philosophy has influenced coaches like Tennessee's Josh Heupel and LSU's Lane Kiffin, and his son, Kendal Briles, serves as offensive coordinator at South Carolina, while his son-in-law, Jeff Lebby, is the head coach at Mississippi State. Despite this success, Briles' career has been shadowed by the sexual assault scandal that led to his firing from Baylor in 2016.
Eastern New Mexico hired Briles on November 24, 2025, just a week after Fite announced the departure of longtime coach Kelley Lee. Fite defended the hire, citing his personal knowledge of Briles' character and his commitment to player development. "I trust him to lead this football program with a high amount of integrity," Fite said at Briles' introductory press conference, adding that many coaches, athletic directors, and pastors have voiced support for the decision.
Key Analysis
Briles inherits a program that has struggled recently, with back-to-back 3-8 seasons and no winning record since 2019. He plans to implement the veer-and-shoot offense he perfected at Baylor, a fast-paced scheme that combines read-option runs with a spread passing attack. He has already utilized the transfer portal to bring in 19 new players, including six from Division I schools, to quickly reshape the roster. "The portal allows you to have a team now," Briles noted, "Instead of saying here's our 18 freshmen we're gonna develop for three years."
Briles signed a two-year contract worth $140,000 annually, with incentives up to $100,000 for a national title and a $2 million buyout. Despite being picked to finish seventh in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll, Briles remains optimistic. "I still feel good fortunately, and I think I still have something to give back to the game," he said. "If I can help some guys get going in coaching, if I can make some student athletes excited and feel good about playing the game, then it's all worthwhile."
Originally reported by yahoo.