Art Briles Reportedly Agrees to Coach Italian Football Team

Former Baylor Bears head coach Art Briles has accepted an offer from the Guelfi Firenze American football team in Italy.

On Thursday, Mac Engel of the Star-Telegram reported Briles will coach the organization's adult team starting in October. The regular season kicks off in March.

"I'm a football coach and it's all I've ever done and all I've ever really had a passion to do; this gives me a chance to be on the field and between the lines," he said. "(This is) a situation where I can build a team over there and it's inspiring to me."

Briles was fired by Baylor in May 2016 amid the school's response to its sexual abuse scandal.

The university announced widespread leadership changes, which also led to the departures of president Ken Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw, after an independent review by the law firm of Pepper Hamilton found the school's response to the situation was "wholly inadequate."

"We were horrified by the extent of these acts of sexual violence on our campus," Baylor Board of Regents chair Richard Willis said. "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."

The 62-year-old coach told Engel he was never given a definitive reason for his dismissal.

"I would have done more if I had known more," Briles said. "When these allegations came out, we found out at the same time you did. I had a meeting with the Board of Regents where I made suggestions that I never had the chance to fulfill; it would have been similar in the NFL that handles the discipline problems that took it out of the football coaches' hands."

Briles was hired by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League in August 2017. His addition to the coaching staff as an offensive assistant was reversed less than a day later because of fan backlash, leading owner Bob Young to issue an apology.

"We made a large and serious mistake," he wrote in a statement.

Briles confirmed to Engel his contract with the Italian team includes an out clause should he be offered a coaching position in the United States.

Guelfi Firenze went 4-6 during the 2018 IFL regular season. It was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs with a 50-0 loss to Bolzano.