Houstonist Flickr Photo of the Day - After a Late Night at Work
H-Town Rock
Apparently competing to find the most thankless college football head coaching position in the state of Texas, University of Houston head coach Art Briles today accepted the Baylor job that was made vacant by the firing of Guy Morriss last week. Briles' contract with Baylor will extend through seven losing seasons at $1.8 million dollars per losing season.
Cougar athletic director and all around quote machine Dave Maggard has said that Briles will leave immediately, leaving a coaching void for the Coogs' appearance in the Texas Bowl in January. An interim coach will be named soon, as will the opponent that the team will face.
Briles oversaw a five year upswing of the U of H football program that included four bowl appearances (but no wins) and a Conference USA championship last season. The Cougars finished this season 8-4, and will face a Big 12 team to be named later in the Texas Bowl at Reliant Stadium. He'll have his work cut out for him at Baylor; the perennial doormat of the Big 12 South hasn't had a winning season since the old SWC days. Recruiting will be hampered by in-state powers like Texas and Texas A&M, and out of state poachers like Oklahoma; moreover, Waco will hardly be the hotbed of local talent that Houston has been for Briles.
It's a tall order, but Briles has proven that he can build teams well. Like Maggard, we wish Briles well in Waco and hope that he doesn't engage in any post-game dancing. The Baptists probably wouldn't appreciate that.
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photo: flickr user Aggiechristine
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I hope Briles enjoys being A&M, UT, OU and Tech's butt monkey for the next seven seasons. There is nothing he can accomplish at Baylor that he doesn't have the opportunity to do at UH. He had an annual shot at a conference championship here, and is throwing it away to be beat up by Sherman, Mack and Stoops.
I'm so glad we have readers who use the word "butt monkey". Seriously.
I try. :)
It seems to me that Briles could have at least stuck around to coach the Cougars in the Texas Bowl in a few weeks, but I guess he has a good reason to leave immediately. Or 1.8 million of them.
When I was at TCU, Dennis Francione did the same thing before the Frogs played in a bowl that year. Rumor around campus was that the players were wearing t-shirts that said "F*** Fran" under their jerseys.
Anyone for some "Bite Me Briles" t-shirts? Hmm, or maybe "Bend Over Briles"?