Briles had received a 10-year contract extension in 2013. The new deal had him being paid more than $4 million to start.
Briles’ on-field work since arriving at Baylor after the 2007 season has bordered on remarkable, ranking with Bill Snyder (Kansas State) and Gary Barnett (Northwestern) in terms of program building.
“The job that Art is doing on Baylor is going to be viewed as one of the greatest transformations in college football history,” Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw said at the time of Briles’ extension.
When Briles arrived at Baylor, the football team had not posted a winning season since 1995. The Bears had won just 10 of 96 games in the Big 12. People openly questioned whether Baylor could compete in the conference.
By 2010, his third season, Briles had taken Baylor to a bowl. The next season, charismatic quarterback Robert Griffin III gave the program a national boost as the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
Briles was 65-37 at Baylor, winning at least 10 games in four of the past five seasons. He also won three bowl games. His teams won two Big 12 titles.
— Wire services contributed to this report.
More Baylor sexual-assault scandal coverage
Opinions:
— Cowlishaw: Why Baylor had to fire frighteningly silent Briles
— Carlton: If you think firing was too drastic a move, read this
— Sherrington: Why I was wrong about Briles
— Editorial: Baylor regents finally face facts, clean house
— Today’s victory for Baylor women towers over all Briles’ football wins
Reaction:
— Read the text message Briles reportedly sent his players after being fired
— Player tweets he won’t play until Briles returns
— Twitter reacts to Briles; coach’s own account deleted
— Replacing Art Briles: Baylor will reportedly look to Phil Bennett as interim replacement
The scandal:
