Report: Art Briles could coach football in Italy

Former Baylor coach Art Briles may be returning to football in a very unlikely place.

According to Mac Engel of the Star-Telegram, Briles is in negotiations with the Guelfi Firenze American football team in Florence, Italy, to be their coach. Sources told Engel that a deal is being worked out.

The job in Italy would be Briles’s first since being fired by Baylor in May of 2016 over his mishandling of rape allegations against football players.

It is a job that is, essentially, low-level junior college, meaning Briles is taking a big step down to coach there. However, he hasn’t been able to find any jobs at all in North America, and this is likely his only option to get back into the profession.

Briles is so toxic in the United States — and even Canada — that a CFL team had to back out of hiring him as an assistant. This looks to be the best he can do.