Baylor Names Jim Grobe As Interim Head Coach
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WACO (105.3 The Fan/AP) - Baylor has hired former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe to lead its football program this season.
Grobe compiled a record of 110-115 over 19 seasons as a head coach at Ohio and Wake Forest. He led the Demon Deacons to five bowl games in 13 seasons and the ACC title in 2006.
Grobe has been out of coaching for the last two years after he resigned from Wake Forest in 2013 following the school's fifth straight losing season.
"Jim Grobe is the right leader at this time to move Baylor University and the football program forward," said Baylor Vice President and Director of Athletics Ian McCaw. "He has successfully led two FBS programs during his career," McCaw added. "Coach Grobe enjoys an impeccable reputation within the intercollegiate athletics community and is a man of great integrity and faith."
"It is an honor for me to have the opportunity to join the Baylor football program during this important time," said Grobe, who has served as a college football analyst since leaving Wake after the 2013 season. "I am looking forward to getting to know and working with the coaches and players in the coming days, and I have great respect for Baylor as an institution and its long-standing heritage. As a coach, winning is important. At the same time, I want to assure the Baylor family that every decision we will make in this football program will be made with Baylor University, her students and our student-athletes in mind."
This is a difficult time of the year to hire a football coach, especially at a university wracked by scandal reaching the president's office.
There was speculation and unconfirmed reports following the move to dismiss Briles that Baylor would promote defensive coordinator Phil Bennett to interim coach. Instead, the university beset with uncertainty after also demoting president Kenneth Starr and putting athletic director Ian McCaw on probation, decided to go outside the program for at least a temporary solution.
It is still unclear how much of the current staff will remain at Baylor for the upcoming season. Briles's son, Kendal, is Baylor's offensive coordinator and Briles' son-in-law, Jeff Lebby, is running backs coach.
While the report by the Pepper Hamilton law firm did not give details and specific names of other coaches involved in wrongdoing, the fact finding did state that staff members spoke directly to potential victims of sexual and violent crimes, discouraged them from reporting allegations and withheld information about allegations against football players from the university.
Art Briles was suspended with the intent to terminate. He was two years into a 10-year contract that paid more than $4 million annually. In eight seasons at Baylor, Briles had turned the Bears into a Big 12 powerhouse after they languished at the bottom of the conference since joining in 1996.
Grobe is one of the more highly respected coaches in the major college sports, known for his humility and candor.
Before taking over at Wake in 2001, he coached Ohio University for six years. In 1995 he took over a program that had not won more than four games in a single season the previous 12 years.
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