Former Baylor Coach Art Briles Out As Grambling’s OC After One Week
"Everyone deserves a second chance" is a cliché that's often used but when it comes to applying that practice in real life, some people don't deserve one, especially in today's "cancel culture". This is apparently the case when it comes to former Baylor coach Art Briles.
Grambling State's Hue Jackson Hired Briles To Be The Team's Offensive Coordinator
Last week, according a report from ESPN, Grambling hired Briles to be the team's new OC but that decision was blasted by media and critics all across the country including former Grambling coach Doug Williams. The hiring drew even more ire on Monday when a statement released by the Hue Jackson Foundation read in part:
"We will continue to support Coach Briles and all victims of assault, violence, social and racial injustices and we will continue to provide equal opportunity for healing for everyone."
A Stunning Fall From Grace Since His Time At Baylor
Going 65-37 over eight years at Baylor, Briles was the program's most successful head coach over his tenure but after a campus wide sexual assault investigation led to an independent investigation and his subsequent dismissal in 2016 Briles has been considered "radioactive" by seemingly everyone in sports. A similar scenario played out when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL attempted to hire Briles in August 2017. The team pulled its offer to Briles on the same day it was extended because of the amount of backlash. Briles has coached two seasons at a Texas high school and another in Italy since that time.
Does Art Briles Deserve Another Chance?
After 4 days of media outrage, Briles informed Grambling that "he did not want to be a distraction to the team" and thanked Grambling for the opportunity. Despite it all, fans of Grambling football are mixed in their feelings. Some pointed out that Williams, who was one of the loudest critics, has some things in his past that he should want to keep quiet about himself about his time in Grambling.
THE FOLLOWING IS MY OPINION: I'm a former student of Grambling State and a fan of the football team. I think Coach Briles deserved another chance because for starters, he's not the "head coach" but has a boss to has to answer to in Coach Jackson. He didn't commit any crimes but he did fail as a leader and yet in this society, certain "people" who fail as leaders ALWAYS get another chance (look at all the convicted criminals YOU'RE about to re-elect into office as an example.)
This is not a "justification" of what Coach Briles did, its applying the "everyone deserves a second chance" theory to real life.