Baylor Paid Art Briles $15.1M, Ken Starr $4.5M After Sexual Assault Scandal

Baylor University paid former Bears head football coach Art Briles $15.1 million as part of his 2016 departure following the school's sexual assault scandal.

Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News first reported the payout Friday after reviewing forms Baylor filed to the IRS. Former school president Ken Starr received $4.52 million and former athletic director Ian McCaw was given $761,059 after his resignation.

Briles had eight years left on his contract when he was dismissed by the university. The IRS forms showed he earned around $6.19 million per season, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com.

The trio's exit was part of widespread leadership changes at Baylor following the scandal. Board of Regents chair Richard Willis said in the May 2016 announcement the school was "horrified" by findings from an independent review handled by the Law Firm of Pepper Hamilton:

"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."

Briles, who's remained out of coaching since his dismissal from Baylor, released a statement last March denying an attempt to hide the problem.

"I did not cover up any sexual violence. I had no contact with anyone that claimed to be a victim of sexual or domestic assault. Anyone well-versed in my work as a coach knows that I strove to promote excellence, but never at the sacrifice of safety for anyone," he said. "I did not obstruct justice on campus or off."

He was set to join the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League in August, but the team changed its mind following public backlash.

Starr, who also served as Baylor's chancellor and a professor at its law school, ended all ties with the university in August 2016.

McCaw was hired as the Liberty University athletic director in November 2016.