Art Briles to Be Fired by Baylor: Latest Comments and Reaction

Baylor University intends to fire head football coach Art Briles on Thursday as the school continues to deal with the aftermath of a sexual assault scandal.

Brett McMurphy of ESPN first reported Briles' dismissal after eight years in charge of the football program. Baylor later confirmed the decision on its official site. The announcement included a statement from board of regents chairman Richard Willis:

"

We were horrified by the extent of these acts of sexual violence on our campus. This investigation revealed the University's mishandling of reports in what should have been a supportive, responsive and caring environment for students. The depth to which these acts occurred shocked and outraged us. Our students and their families deserve more, and we have committed our full attention to improving our processes, establishing accountability and ensuring appropriate actions are taken to support former, current and future students.

"

Jessica Morrey of KCEN provided the group text Briles sent his players informing them of the news: 

Baylor said it was contacted by the NCAA and will cooperate, per Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports. 

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Baylor was "transparent in [its] handling in the matter," noting the school has "taken steps," per Guerin Emig of the Tulsa World.

Chip Brown of Horns Digest reported Tuesday the Baylor board of regents had voted to remove school president Ken Starr and offered to keep him with the law school. Baylor's announcement said he'll remain the Louise L. Morrison Chair of Constitutional Law and discussions are ongoing about the school chancellor role, though an agreement in principle is already in place.

Matthew Watkins of the Texas Tribune reported athletic director Ian McCaw was "sanctioned and placed on probation." Watkins also provided further details about Briles' status, confirming he is officially "suspended with intent to terminate."

News of the shake-up comes two weeks after the Associated Press reported Baylor received the results of an investigation by the Pepper Hamilton law firm into the university's handling of assault accusations. The school wouldn't confirm whether those details would eventually be made public.

Briles took over the Bears in late 2007 after a five-year stint at Houston. He transformed the program into one of the nation's most consistently successful with a 65-37 record across eight seasons, including at least 10 victories in four of the past five years.

RedditCFB provided reaction from members of the team:

Feldman provided the reaction of a family member of one of the alleged victims:

"

We were starting to wonder, 'is he (Briles) really gonna get away with this?!' There's no way this can continue. But after I heard the news, man, it's a relief, an absolute relief. Of course, it doesn't take everything back. But somebody who could've prevented this, is not getting away it.

You want some sort of justice. This just had to happen. It needed to.

"

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports reported defensive coordinator Phil Bennett is expected to take over as head coach on an interim basis. He also noted Kendal Briles—Art's son and the team's offensive coordinator—is currently expected to remain with the program.

Following the decision, 247Sports 4-star commit Kedrick James became the first to announce his decommitment from Baylor:

Sue Ambrose and David Tarrant of the Dallas Morning News reported in March that Briles was among the Baylor officials named in a lawsuit by Jasmin Hernandez, who alleged the school failed to act after she reported a rape by former football player Tevin Elliott, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

It's part of a larger issue that has caused the school to receive intense criticism. In January, Paula Lavigne of ESPN's Outside the Lines reported that five women had told police that Elliott had either raped or assaulted them. She noted the incidents occurred between October 2009 and April 2012.

Feldman noted Briles told Fox Sports he "actually didn't watch" the January report but reacted with "sadness and sorrow because it's something you never want to be associated with."

Lavigne also reported on April 14 that Baylor failed to investigate one sexual assault allegation against two football players in 2013 for more than two years, despite federal law dictating an immediate response to such reports.

At least three football players have been charged with sexual assault since the start of 2014, as noted in a complete recap of the scandal by Bruce Tomaso of the Dallas Morning News.