Sources: Arkansas’ Briles to become TCU’s OC
Kendal Briles is leaving Arkansas to become the offensive planner at TCU, sources informed ESPN on Wednesday.A main announcement is expected Thursday.The Razorbacks are finalizing an offer to
work with Dan Enos from Maryland to change Briles as their offensive coordinator, sources informed ESPN. Enos has been at Maryland the previous 2 seasons and had a huge role in quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s development.Briles, 40, has actually been the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach the previous three seasons at Arkansas, which experienced an offending upheaval under Briles. The Hogs ended up 15th nationally in total offense this past season while averaging 32.5 points per game and 30.9 points in 2021, which was the most at Arkansas given that the 2015 season. The Hogs balanced just 21.4 points per game in 2019, the year prior to Briles arrived.Arkansas was seventh nationally in rushing offense in 2022(236.5 yards per game ). The Hogs’3,075 hurrying backyards were their most given that the 2003 season. Briles likewise improved Arkansas’ passing game and its balance on offense. The Hogs was among 3 FBS groups in 2022(Ole Miss and UCLA the others)to average more than 230 rushing backyards and 230 passing lawns per game.Briles changes Garrett Riley at TCU. Riley left recently to be the offensive organizer at Clemson. At TCU, Briles signs up with among the top offensive-minded head coaches in the nation in Sonny Dykes, who’s entering his second season in Fort Worth. Dykes took the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff championship game game this previous season; they lost 65-7 to Georgia.Over the previous 2 years, Briles has had opportunities to leave Arkansas for other jobs. Miami followed him a year earlier, however he stayed put. And after that last month, Briles turned down overtures from Mississippi State.This will be Briles’6th stint as an offending coordinator. He was with his daddy, Art Briles, at Baylor as pass receivers coach, then passing game coordinator and then offending quarterback/quarterbacks coach in 2015 when he was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the
leading assistant coach in the country.Art Briles was fired before the 2016 season in the wake of a sexual attack scandal at Baylor that also led to the firing and/or resignation of the school’s president and athletic director. Kendal Briles, who was not directly linked in any wrongdoing, stayed on as offending planner under Jim
Grobe in 2016 before going to Florida Atlantic as offending organizer in 2017, Houston as offensive coordinator in 2018 and Florida State as offensive organizer in 2019. Art Briles and Dykes worked together on the Texas Tech staff from 2000 to 2002 under Mike Leach.Arkansas’ training staff has undergone significant turnover this offseason, consisting of both coordinators. Barry Odom took the UNLV head training job. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman worked with Travis Williams from UCF and Marcus Woodson from Florida State as co-defensive organizers after linebackers coach Michael Scherer went with Odom to be protective planner at UNLV.
Tight ends coach Dowell Loggains delegated become the offending organizer at South Carolina, and Pittman fired his strength coach, Ben Sowders, and changed him with Jamil Walker.This will be Enos’ 2nd stint as Arkansas’offending planner. He managed the Razorbacks’offense from 2015-17 when they was among 2 FBS programs with a 3,000-yard passer and 1,300-yard rush in both 2015 and 2016.