Disgraced former Baylor head football coach Art Briles is again facing controversy after the Texas high school team he now coaches was accused of using ineligible players.
According to The Dallas Morning News, a district executive committee unanimously ruled that two of Briles’ players were ineligible.
The 6-0 vote was confirmed by two superintendents and a 7-3A Division I DEC decision made three weeks ago that upheld the players' eligibility.
Briles’ team now face the possibility of forfeiting up to five games. A statement from Mount Vernon ISD superintendent Jason McCullough noted that the ruling and possible forfeitures did not include previously played games.
The players in question were Brock and Cameron Nellor, who were ruled to have moved into the district for athletic purposes. Briles and Mount Vernon received a public reprimand, but no forfeitures were handed down by the committee.
However, the Morning News notes that the UIL's state executive committee can strip teams of victories when it deems the school violated the rules.
Briles was the head coach of the Houston Cougars from 2002 to 2007 and the Baylor Bears from 2008 to 2015. His college career ended with his dismissal from the team in 2015 as a result of the Baylor University sexual assault scandal.
A third-party investigation commissioned by Baylor found that football staff members failed to report sexual assaults when they learned of them. The report also found that school administrators encouraged victims to not report complaints.
Mount Vernon, which started the season 5-0, has only played one District 7-3A Division I match. Its next game is scheduled for Friday against Jefferson. That means that if Mount Vernon, which has outscored opponents 233-85 this season, forfeits all five of its games, it still has a chance to make the postseason.
