Baylor is firing head football coach Art Briles amid multiple accusations of sexual assault against football players, a surprising development for a coach who has turned a historically weak program into a national powerhouse.
The allegations about the Baylor football program are so serious that it may be difficult for any college to justify hiring Briles. But Briles is widely regarded as one of the most innovative minds in the game of football, and so it would not be at all surprising to see some NFL team hire him.
Briles’ offense was once viewed as gimmicky and unsuited to the NFL. But it has worked long enough at the college level, and produced enough NFL players, that there may now be NFL teams that would look to add Briles as an assistant coach or offensive consultant.
The 60-year-old Briles has no NFL experience, and the results of the ongoing investigation at Baylor could make him too toxic for the NFL. But the reality is that NFL teams look for any edge they can get. If some team thinks Briles can improve its offense, Briles will have a job in the NFL.
UPDATE 12:39 p.m. ET: Art Briles should be a coaching pariah after Baylor investigation.