Art Briles returns to coach Italy’s Firenze Guelfi

Igor Lazarevic

Italy’s Firenze Guelfi of Florence have identified their coach for 2022, bringing again previous Baylor University (NCAA Div.1) head mentor Art Briles. Briles coached the Guelfi in 2019 and crew president Alessandro Dallai is thrilled to have the achieved mentor again on their sideline:

“We are pretty joyful we have been able to deliver Mentor Briles back again to Florence, we continue to have a goal to obtain, and his signing is the very first piece to establish the foreseeable future of the staff, with only 1 intention in head: acquire the championship” 

Briles, 66, delivers a long time of university soccer working experience to the Guelfi. The Rule, Texas native has spent virtually his entire daily life actively playing and coaching football in Texas’s expertise-rich soccer neighborhood. Right after actively playing receiver for Texas Tech (NCAA D1), Briles dove suitable into coaching as component of Texas’s aggressive significant university soccer ranks. he swiftly climbed the coaching ladder turning out to be head coach of 2A Hamlin High University, then Georgetown Substantial Faculty, and sooner or later 4A Stephenville. At Stephenville, Briles amassed four point out titles and a 135–29–2 record.

After his achievements at the higher university stage, Briles returned to his Alma Mater coaching functioning backs at Texas Tech. In 2003, Briles was hired as the head mentor at the University of Houston (NCAA D1). There he took about a struggling Cougars software that went -11 just two many years prior. For the duration of his 5 a long time in Houston, Briles received the 2006 Meeting-United states coach of the 12 months, just one meeting championship, and completed with a 34-28 document.

The subsequent yr, the Texan was employed at Baylor University (NCAA D1). As the head coach for the Bears, Briles racked up a 65-37 record, with two Big 12 Championships, one Linked Press mentor of the yr award (2013), and a few bowl wins. During his tenure in Waco, Briles coached 5 consensuses All-Us residents, quite a few NFL draft picks, and 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.

However, Briles career at Baylor ended abruptly as a 2016 sexual assault scandal in just the Baylor Football crew sooner or later led to the resignation of Briles and many university directors. The subsequent 12 months Briles was employed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League right before public backlash led the workforce to rescind their provide.

In his one particular time with the Guelfi, Briles and former Baylor participant Silas Nacita led the group to an 8-3 report and a championship recreation overall look. Due to the fact the summertime of 2019, Briles has returned to his roots as the head mentor of the Mount Vernon Tigers, a high university workforce in East Texas, coaching them to a 20-6 document with two playoff appearances.

The former NCAA coach of the year has by now been developing his team in Florence as the Guelfi have been occupied this off-year. Along with the signing of the Texas soccer veteran, a number of former Div. 1 talents have signed for the 2022 season together with South Alabama document-breaking tailback Xavier Johnson, previous South Japanese standout Dejion Lynch, and Dartmouth quarterback and H-again Jared Gerbino. The American imports sign up for domestic stars these as Italian quarterback Andrea Fimiani and defender Lorenzo Dalle Piagge are also gearing up for the impending Italian Football League time.

Examine a 2019 AFI interview with Art Briles