Art Briles joined Eastern New Mexico University as head football coach in November 2025.
Briles, a native of Rule, Texas, has coached football for 40+ years. The 2013 AP College Football Coach of the Year led the University of Houston (2002-07) and Baylor (2008-15) to 10 bowl games and a 99-65 overall record.
Briles is widely regarded as an offensive innovator, helping popularize spread-offense concepts at both the high school and collegiate levels, while developing multiple record-setting quarterbacks and nationally ranked offenses.
He most recently coached in Italy for Guelfi Firenze where he led them to the 2019 and 2022 Italian Bowl. The team won the 2022 Italian Bowl championship with a 21-17 victory over Seamen Milano. Briles compiled a 17-5 record with the Guelfi.
His time in high school has featured 185 wins with head coaching stops at Hamlin (1984-85), Georgetown (1986-87), Stephenville (1988-99), and Mount Vernon (2019-20). In just two seasons with MVHS, he compiled a 20-6 nod and helped the program reach the 3A state semifinals.
In his 12 seasons with Stephenville, he turned the Yellow Jackets into a powerhouse in the Lone Star state. Prior to his time with the program, SHS had not gone to the playoffs since 1952. He guided the program to 10 playoff appearances and state championships in 1993, 1994, 1998, and 1999. Briles' team went undefeated in 1993, 1994, and 1999. Recently, Stephenville ISD built Art Briles Stadium.
Eastern New Mexico is Briles third collegiate head coaching position. He led Baylor to a 60-37 mark over eight seasons. His squads won two Big 12 championships and earned six bowl berths.
In his final season with the Bears, Briles was named AP Big 12 coach of the year and aided the program to a 10-3 record and victory in the Russell Athletic Bowl over North Carolina, 49-38. BU stayed in the AP top 20 for the entire year. He coached 16 all-Big 12 honorees, including the conference defensive player of the year Andrew Billings. First team honorees under his guidance included Corey Coleman (WR), Andrew Billings (DL), Spencer Drango (OL), Xavien Howard (DB), and Orion Stewart (DB).
During the 2014 campaign, BU won a second-straight Big XII title on their way to an 11-2 (8-1 Big XII) record. They fell 42-41 in the Cotton Bowl to Michigan State and finished the year ranked seventh in the nation. The Bears were as high as No. 4 in the nation and went 3-0 against top 20 programs in the regular season. Briles coached 20 all-conference honorees during the season, including Bryce Petty (QB), Shock Linwood (RB), Corey Coleman (WR), Antwan Goodley (WR), Spencer Drango (OL), Cyril Richardson (OL), Shawn Oakman (DL), Bryce Hager (LB), and Xavien Howard (DB) holding first team honors.
The 2013 season was the first of two Big XII championships for Baylor under Briles. The Bears began the season with nine-straight wins and held a ranking as high as No. 3 nationally. BU finished the season 11-2 (8-1 Big XII) and had two wins over ranked programs. The Bears had nine games with 200+ rushing yards and saw Bryce Petty earn conference offensive player of the year. Bryce Petty (QB), Lache Seastrunk (RB), Antwan Goodley (WR), Cyril Richardson (OL), Spencer Durango (OL), Chris McAllister (DL), Ahmad Dixon (DB), Tevin Reese (WR), Troy Baker (OL), Kelvin Palmer (OL), Shawn Oakman (DL), Bryce Hager (LB), and Demtri Goodson (DB) all were named all-conference honorees during the year. BU lost the Fiesta Bowl to UCF, 52-42.
Briles guided Baylor to a 8-5 (4-5 Big XII) mark in 2012. The Bears earned a 49-26 win over UCLA in the Holiday Bowl. Baylor saw Nick Florence (QB), Lache Seastrunk (RB), Antwn Goodley (WR), Terrance Waller (OT), Philip Blake (C), Tevin Reese (WR), Shawn Bell (OL), Sam Hall (DB), Ahmad Dixon (DB), Jeff Roberson (OL), K.J. Closser (LB), and Ben Gardner (DE) earn all-conference honors. The program finished the season on a four-game winning streak and posted 311.25 rushing yards per game over those contests.
In 2011, quarterback Robert Griffin III won the Heisman Trophy and conference offensive player of the year under the guidance of coach Briles. The Bears won the Alamo Bowl, 67-56, over Washington and finished the season ranked No. 13 nationally. Baylor had two wins against top 25 programs, including one against No. 5 Oklahoma. Robert Griffin III (QB), Kendall Wright (WR), Terrance Ganaway (RB), Philip Blake (C), Elliot Coffey (LB), Ahmad Dixon (LB), Tevin Elliott (DL), Mike Hicks (DB), Sam Holl (DB), K.J. Morton (DB), Jordan Najvar (TE), Tevin Reese (WR), Cyril Richardson (OL), Terrance Williams (WR), and Erik Wolfe (FB) were named to the all-Big XII team.
During the 2010 season, he led the Bears to their first bowl game appearance since 1994. The team went 7-6 (4-4 Big XII) and lost in the Texas Bowl to Illinois. Kendall Wright (WR), Jason Smith (OT), Joe Pawelek (LB), Justin Akers (TE), Robert Griffin III (QB), J.D. Walton (C), Dan Gay (G), Jordan Lake (DB), Chris McAllister (DE), Terrance Ganaway (RB), Tevin Reese (WR), and T.J. Sanders (DB) all earned all-conference recognition.
In his first two seasons in Waco, he led the Bears to a pair of 4-8 finishes. In 2009, Derek Epperson (P), Joe Pawelek (LB), Jordan Lake (DB), J.D. Walton (OL), Justin Akers (TE), David Gettis (WR), Jason Lamb (DL), and Kendall Wright (WR) were all-conference performers. The 2008 team saw Jason Smith (OT), Joe Pawelek (LB), Jordan Lake (DB), Derek Epperson (P), Dan Gay (OT), James Barnard (OG), and J.D. Walton (C) make all-Big XII honors.
In Houston, he helped the Cougars go 34-28 over five seasons, including four bowl games and a Conference USA championship.
Briles helped UH go 7-5 in the regular season and qualify for the Armed Forces Bowl in 2007. The Cougars tied for first in Conference USA. He did not coach in the final game of the season as he had taken the position at Baylor beforehand. He coached all-CUSA performers Jeff Akeroyd (OL), Donnie Avery (WR), Phillip Hunt (DL), Anthony Alridge (RB), Kenneth Fontenette (DB), Case Keenum (QB), and Loyce Means (DB).
The 2006 squad finished 10-4, won the conference championships, and lost in the Liberty Bowl to South Carolina. The double digit win season was the first for Houston since 1990. His all-conference honorees included Vincent Marshall (WR), Wade Koehl (LB), E.J. Smith (DB), Kevin Kolb (QB), Shannon Woods (OL), Brandon Middleton (WR), and David Douglas (RB).
Houston had a 6-6 mark to finish the 2005 campaign and fell to Kansas in the Fort Worth Bowl. All-conference Cougars from that season included Ryan Gilbert (RB), Vincent Marshall (WR), Kade Lane (DE), Kevin Kolb (QB), David Douglas (OL), Wade Koehl (LB), SirVincent Rodgers (OL), and Rocky Schwartz (OLB).
The 2004 Cougars completed the season 3-8 with victories over Army, Tulane, and East Carolina. All-conference awardees for UH included Vincent Marshall (WR) and Joe Clay (DL).
In his first season (2003) with UH, Briles led the team to their first winning season for four years. A 7-6 overall record was complemented by a trip to face Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl. Houston had seven all-conference honorees, including Rex Hadnot (OL), Brandon Middleton (WR), Joe Clay (DL), Matt Mattox (OL), Kevin Kolb (QB), Jonathan Pritchett (TE), and Anthony Evans (RB).
From 2000-02, he was an assistant coach at Texas Tech. With the Red Raiders, Briles and company compiled a 23-16 record over three seasons.
In his coaching tenure, Briles has coached four NFL starting quarterbacks - Kevin Kolb, Case Keenum, Robert Griffin III, and Bryce Petty.
Kevin Fite and Art Briles both worked at the University of Houston at the same time. Fite served as the associate athletic director for compliance and eligibility while Briles served as head football coach.
He is married to wife, Jan, and they have three adult children – Jancy Briles, Staley Lebby, and Kendal Briles.
His son-in-law, Jeff Lebby, is the head coach at Mississippi State. Jeff’s father (Mike) and brother (Kyle) played football at Eastern New Mexico University. Briles son, Kendal, is the offensive coordinator at TCU.
Briles holds a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech (1978) and a master’s from Abilene Christian (1984).
