Houston head coach Major Applewhite announced Saturday that he has hired Kendal Briles away from Florida Atlantic. Briles, the son of disgraced former Baylor head coach Art Briles, will serve as an associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Additionally, the program announced the hire of Randy Clements as its run game coordinator and offensive line coach.
“We are excited to welcome Kendal, Randy and their families back to Houston. They have extensive knowledge of our program and its standards, and we know they will be the right fit,” said Applewhite. “They both have been a part of some of the nation’s top offenses with multiple programs and have shown the ability to learn and adapt while staying thoroughly tied into our state’s landscape in terms of recruiting. Throughout this process we have researched their abilities and backgrounds with several references and have received glowing praise.”
Briles played college ball at Houston when his father was the Cougars’ coach between 2003-2005. He had previously played at Texas from 2001-2002.
He began his coaching career at Baylor when his father began coaching in 2008, ultimately working his way up to being the offensive coordinator in 2015. He remained on at Baylor in 2016 after his father was fired before joining Lane Kiffin at Florida Atlantic this past season as his offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
Undeniably, Briles has a bright offensive mind and has been tutored by some of the best in the business. His addition to Applewhite’s staff at Houston should help the Cougars rebound from what was a disappointing 7-5 campaign in 2017.