Uh Coach Briles To Interview For Baylor Job

[OldTimer]

Houston's Briles to interview at Baylor

11:00 PM CST on Monday, November 26, 2007

Associated Press

HOUSTON – Houston Cougars coach Art Briles has received permission to interview for the Baylor job that opened after the school fired Guy Morriss earlier this month.

Houston television station KRIV reported that Briles, who is 34-28 in five seasons at Houston, will interview with Baylor on Tuesday.

Houston athletic director Dave Maggard told the station he gave Briles permission for the interview Monday.

"(Briles) indicated he was interested in the job," Maggard said. "I asked him if this was about money and he said no. Art said this is something he needed to do at this time."

A Baylor spokesman did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Houston (8-4, 6-2 Conference USA) will play in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 28 against a Big 12 opponent. They were the Conference USA champions last season.

Morriss was fired Nov. 18, a day after the Bears finished their 12th consecutive losing season with their 12th straight Big 12 loss. He was 18-40 in five seasons at Baylor.

[JesseMartin]

Isn't Briles' record the same as Fran's?

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I think Briles moving to Baylor would be a great move for him and Baylor. He is good coach making his way up through the ranks.

[adman]

I think Briles moving to Baylor would be a great move for him and Baylor. He is good coach making his way up through the ranks.

He's a good coach at 34-28 and yet in another thread you bash Houston Nutt at 75-48? What am I missing?

[Eagle1855]

I think Briles moving to Baylor would be a great move for him and Baylor. He is good coach making his way up through the ranks.

Baylor is a waste of time. He's got a better chance of going to a BCS game at UH than he EVER will at Baylor. In my opinion, Baylor is a dead-end job. They don't want to invest what it takes to be a national power (and who can blame them with the arms race going on around them) and because of that, they'll probably never be competitive in the Big12 in football. That's just the way it is.

Meanwhile, UH had an 8-4 rebuilding season... had a chance to beat Bama on the road after getting themselves in a 23 point hole in the first quarter and should have beaten ECU at home. Again, not awful for a rebuilding season.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

He's a good coach at 34-28 and yet in another thread you bash Houston Nutt at 75-48? What am I missing?

That there is a difference between the expectation/talent levels at Arkansas and Baylor. Who could possibly miss that?

Here are the possible upside to Briles to Baylor:

(1) They installed a spread offense a couple of seasons ago. Hiring Briles, who runs a similar offense, would mean they wouldn't be starting from scratch, having to teach players a whole new philosophy.

(2) Waco is relatively close to Stephenville where Briles spent many years. Waco probably has more of a "home" feel/pace for Briles than Houston.

(3) Briles has eight years of Division I-A experience: 2000-2002 as running backs coach at Texas Tech; 2003-Present as Houston head coach.

(4) Briles took a Houston program who had only one winning season is seven prior years, and has turned in four bowl appearances in five season, including the Conference USA Championship in 2006. So, he's proven he can turn a program around.

(5) Private schools are not completely unfamiliar territory to him as he earned his Master's degree at Abilene Christian while coaching at Hamlin.

Edited November 27, 2007 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[UNT Mean Green]

Noooo....I don't want Coach Briles getting any closer to Denton! He's a very similar guy to Coach Dodge in the fact that he's extremely connected in Texas with his coaching roots and connections, which in turn, helps recruiting. I'd be fine with him staying in Houston!