Art Briles Got A New Job Coaching Football In Italy

Disgraced former Baylor head coach Art Briles has a new job. After a botched stint in the CFL and a pair of aborted college consulting gigs, Briles has accepted the head coaching job with Florence’s Italian Football League team, Guelfi Firenze.

Briles reports to the team in October, and the IFL season begins in March. His contract apparently has an out that allows him to run back to the United States if he gets a better job. The IFL is a 12-team league that apparently plays under college rules, and Briles will get to bring over two American players with him. Briles spoke to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram today, saying, “It’s a golden opportunity for me to get on the field and be involved. I’m jacked about it.”

This is the second time Briles has accepted a coaching job since being fired by Baylor for his mishandling of a long series of rape accusations against his players. The first time, the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats reneged on the deal within 24 hours after pressure not to hire someone whose players allegedly committed 52 rapes in his tenure with Baylor.

The Star-Telegram gave Briles—who says he “would have done more if I’d known more”—plenty of cover for his role in the problem, and Briles is still acting like he was the scapegoat for something he had no hand in:

“I’m not sure I was not fired for Baylor’s PR purposes,” he said. “I can’t explain why they would give me a substantial amount of money or pay out a lot of other employees. And I understand contracts. People can make their own decisions.”

Oh for sure, man.