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Art Briles on Pepper Hamilton investigation: 'They were trying to implicate some people'

Art Briles wants his name back and he isn’t staying quiet anymore.

The former Baylor football coach is leaving to work in Italy, coaching the Estra Guelfi Football Club, but had some parting criticism for the investigation that led to his termination in 2016. For Briles, it’s what he believes is the first step to clearing his name and restoring his tarnished reputation.

The story behind Art Briles’ downfall

Briles’ story was published by the Baylor Line Foundation on Wednesday. The foundation had formerly been called the Baylor Alumni Association and had litigation against the school. It currently describes itself as “a nonprofit that represents the independent and diverse voices of Baylor alumni.”

The story itself was described by the Waco Tribune-Herald as “largely favorable to Briles.”

The Waco Tribune-Herald noted the foundation’s piece did not originally disclose that Briles’ attorney Tom Nesbitt is also a board member of the foundation. The disclosure was added afterwards.

Art Briles believed that he would have coaching job soon after being fired from Baylor for his mishandling of sexual assault cases. (AP Photo/Duane A. Laverty, File)
Art Briles believed that he would have coaching job soon after being fired from Baylor for his mishandling of sexual assault cases. (AP Photo/Duane A. Laverty, File)

Criticizing the investigators

Briles believed that the investigators from Pepper Hamilton – Gina Maisto Smith and Leslie M. Gomez – were “mission-oriented.”

They were introduced to Briles as being there to work to protect the students and help implement Title IX practices. But by the time they interviewed him, he said he believed they had an end goal.

“They were trying to implicate some people,” Briles said.

The investigation later revealed that that Baylor “failed to take action to identify and eliminate a potential hostile environment, prevent its recurrence or address its effects.”

Briles – and his former defensive coordinator Phil Bennett as well as athletic director Ian McCaw – attacked the investigation was “racially motivated.”

“My experience was the same. Very disturbing,” Briles told the Baylor Line Foundation. “Kind of eye-opening, honestly. To see people who have never been around the sport, collegiate athletics or high school athletics, and maybe intramurals. To have people who don’t understand any of the dynamics of athletes, coaches, universities, and everything that’s involved in daily activities. It was like taking a first grader and trying to teach them trigonometry.”

Bennett had also criticized the Pepper Hamilton attorneys for having “no sense of normal football culture” and overplaying what he believed to be common disciplinary tactics.

“It’d be a safe call to say they were mission-oriented,” Briles said. “I’m not here to bash or blame or protect or hide. Apparently, and I think it’s been proven, that there’s been a lot of failure from a lot of sides.”

Art Briles had an offer to coach in Canada, but backlash led to the offer being withdrawn.
Art Briles had an offer to coach in Canada, but backlash led to the offer being withdrawn.

Current lawsuit against Baylor

A lawsuit filed by 10 Jane Does against Baylor for its handling of sexual assault is fodder for Briles and his supporters to continue attacking the investigators.

McCaw’s testimony was released. The motion revealed that McCaw told lawyers he believes Briles, the athletic department, and black football players specifically were made scapegoats of the scandal. Baylor, in fighting the lawsuit, said that the university had implemented 105 recommendations made by Pepper Hamilton and to a summary of findings of fact.

No report has been released to the public yet.

“These are things I’ve known all along,” Briles said. “I didn’t know to what degree until last year or so, because I wasn’t privy to all the behind the scenes, covert actions going on. It takes time for the other side to get out.”

Baylor’s response

On Wednesday, Baylor University, in a statement, said they had nothing more to add to the Baylor Line Foundation story that “has not been expressed over the past two-plus years via legal filings and media statements.”

One of their statements was in response to a motion filed by Briles’ attorneys after sexual assault survivor named Dolores Lozano sued the former coach.

The motion attempted to discredit Briles’ handling of former defensive end Sam Ukwuachu and the alleged gang rape of a Baylor student-athlete.

“Just as when he was coach, he again attempts to skirt responsibility for actions of the football program he led, the players he recruited and coached, the coaches he managed, and the loose discipline he championed.”

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