Kendal Briles is a strong candidate to be the next head coach at Texas State, sources told FootballScoop on Monday.
News of Briles interviewing with the Bobcats was first reported Sunday, and we are told there is a strong chance Briles gets the job.
The son of Art Briles, he has thrived since leaving the nest. In his one season on Lane Kiffin's staff at Florida Atlantic, he took a team that went 3-9 the year prior to the school's first Conference USA championship. Those Owls went 11-3, winning their final 10 games by more than three touchdowns per game, while averaging more than 285 rushing yards per game on more than six yards per carry.
That success led him to Houston this season, where the Cougars jumped from 65th to fourth in scoring upon Briles' arrival. Houston was in position to play for the AAC championship before losing quarterback D'Eriq King to injury.
Meanwhile, FAU's fortunes have sunk this season without Briles. The Owls slunk to 5-7 this season, while watching their scoring offense plummet from eighth in 2017 to 50th in 2018.
Prior to that, Briles was the offensive coordinator for Baylor teams that won back-to-back Big 12 championships in 2013-14 and took college football by storm.
Of course, the staff was blown out amid a sexual assault scandal that became a national flashpoint. While the remainder of the Briles Baylor staff has found work again, the patriarch has not.
Should Kendal Briles get the Texas State job, it would be with the understand that Art would have a presence -- most likely unofficial, and thus unpaid -- on his son's staff.
To revitalize a program that is 10-37 in its past four seasons, the Texas State officials may believe the juice is worth the squeeze.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.