Kendal Briles is leaving Arkansas to become an offensive coordinator at TCU, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
An official announcement is expected on Thursday.
Briles, 40, has been the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the past three seasons in Arkansas, which was experiencing an offensive upheaval under Briles. The Hogs ranked 15th nationwide in total offense last season, averaging 32.5 points per game and 30.9 points in 2021, which was the most in Arkansas since the 2015 season. The Hogs averaged just 21.4 points per game in 2019, the year before Briles arrived.
Arkansas was seventh nationally in rushing offense in 2022 (236.5 yards per game). The Hogs’ 3,075 rushing yards was the most since the 2003 season. Briles also improved Arkansas’ passing game and his offensive balance. The Hogs were one of three FBS teams in 2022 (Ole Miss and UCLA the others) to average more than 230 rushing yards and 230 passing yards per game.
Briles replaces Garrett Riley at TCU. Riley left last week to become offensive coordinator at Clemson. At TCU, Briles joins one of the best offensively oriented head coaches in the country in Sonny Dykes, entering his second season at Fort Worth. Dykes took the Horned Frogs to the College Football Playoff National Championship game last season; They lost 65-7 to Georgia.
In the past two years, Briles has had the opportunity to leave Arkansas for other jobs. Miami was after him a year ago, but he stayed where he was. And then, last month, Briles turned down offers from the state of Mississippi.
This will be Brile’s sixth spell as offensive coordinator. He was with his father, Art Briles, at Baylor as wide receivers coach, then passing game coordinator, and then offensive quarterback/quarterbacks coach in 2015 when he was a finalist for the Broyles Award for Best Assistant Coach in the Country.
Art Briles was fired prior to the 2016 season after a sexual assault scandal at Baylor that also resulted in the firing and/or resignation of the school president and athletic director. Kendal Briles, who was not directly involved in any wrongdoing, remained as offensive coordinator under Jim Grobe in 2016 before joining Florida Atlantic in 2017 as offensive coordinator, Houston in 2018 as offensive coordinator, and Florida State in 2019 as offensive coordinator.
Art Briles and Dykes worked together on the Texas Tech Staff under Mike Leach from 2000 to 2002.
The Arkansas coaching staff has seen a major change this offseason, including the two coordinators. Barry Odom took over as UNLV head coach. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman hired UCF’s Travis Williams and Florida State’s Marcus Woodson as co-defensive coordinators after linebackers coach Michael Scherer left with Odom as defensive coordinator at UNLV. Tight ends coach Dowell Loggains left the team to become offensive coordinator at South Carolina, and Pittman fired his strength coach Ben Sowders and replaced him with Jamil Walker.