Kendal Briles is officially headed to South Carolina as the Gamecocks’ new offensive coordinator, taking over for Mike Shula. From his early days as a high-school star to becoming one of college football’s most well-traveled offensive architects, Briles’ journey is worth unpacking. Let’s take a deeper look at the personal and professional journey that shaped this young offensive mind.

Who is Kendal Briles?

Kendal Briles was born on November 10, 1982, in Abilene, Texas, to Art Briles and Jan Briles. He was raised in the state of Texas, where football is a way of life. Being the son of a veteran coach, he was raised in a football-centric environment. He started his high school football career at Stephenville High School under his dad and was honored as the Texas 4A Offensive Player of the Year twice. Later, they inducted him into the Texas High School Hall of Fame.

He played as a safety at Texas, recording 2 interceptions and 10 tackles there, and transferred to Houston, transforming into a wide receiver, catching 70 passes for 680 yards and a touchdown.

He spent his initial coaching career under the shadow and guidance of his father, Art Briles, and after seventeen years of successful coaching experience, he is now expected to join the South Carolina Game Cocks by the 2026 season, as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Before he signed the deal, he was the associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach for TCU.

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Who is Kendal Briles’s wife?

Sarah Briles is the wife of Kendal Briles. The couple first met while both competing for the Houston athletics in the early 2000s. “My family and I are excited to return to Houston, where my wife and I met while both competing for Houston athletics,” said Kendal.

The couple has three children together: two sons, Jaytn Briles, Kru Briles, and a daughter, Kinley Briles. Their elder son, Jaytn Briles, is following in his dad’s footsteps and playing as a WR at Saints High School. 

Who are Kendal Briles’s parents?

Art Briles and Jan Briles are the father and mother of Kendal Briles. His father is a veteran football coach who has been coaching since 1979 and is the current head coach of Eastern New Mexico. He was the one who shaped Kendal’s football career since the early stages of life. He coached at six high schools, 4 collegiate programs, and a pro football team throughout his career, and has a career record of 99-65 in college, 166-46-4 in high school, and 33-11 in pro.

Art and Jan Briles met in the 1970s when Art Briles’ father moved to Rule, Texas, to coach the local football team while Jan was in the eighth grade. Jan helped Art cope with the deaths of his parents and aunt in an accident on their way to one of his football games in 1976. She was supposed to travel with them, but stood behind for a friend’s bridal shower. The couple got married in 1978 and has three kids, including Kendal Briles.

Who are Kendal Briles’s siblings? 

Kendal Briles has two sisters, Staley Briles and Jancy Briles. Staley Briles is married to Oklahoma Sooners OC Jeff Lebby, and the couple has two children. 

Jancy Briles has been the regional sales manager at Varsity Spirit since 2015. Before that, she worked as the media relations coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys from 2005 to 2014.

What is Kendal Briles’s Contract & Salary?

Kendal Briles has been in the coaching profession for 17 years, and he primarily earns through coaching contracts at collegiate programs and other bonuses. There is no official information on Kendal Briles’ current contract and the salary with South Carolina. However, Briles, as an offensive coordinator at TCU, earned $1.4 million per year. He was the fifth-highest-paid coach for the TCU Horned Frogs athletics. 

Before joining TCU, he earned $1.2 million yearly as an Arkansas assistant coach, with a maximum bonus of $166k. During his time at Florida State, he earned his first $1 million as a salary and was the first position coach to earn a million there.

What is Kendal Briles’s Career History / Highlights?

Kendal Briles spent the first nine years of his coaching career at Baylor. He served in numerous roles at Baylor, including inside receivers coach, passing game coordinator, and recruiting coordinator, before taking over as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for his final two seasons there. He was one of the finest recruiters in the Big 12 and was even recognized as the Big 12 Recruiter of the Year in 2013 and 2014.

Moving to FAU in 2017 as the offensive coordinator, he helped the Owls reach top-10 rankings in rushing, scoring, and total offense, and helped them win their first Conference USA championship. He played a big role in developing Devin Singletary, who became FAU’s first Associated Press All-American and was a third-round pick by the Chicago Bears.

Moving to Houston in 2018, he helped the Cougars rank in the top 10 in both total offense and points per game, and made them place in the top-25 nationally in passing and rushing yards. At Florida State, Briles took over a struggling unit ranking 103rd in total offense and 113th in scoring and re-engineered the offense to an improved offense before leaving for Arkansas in 2020.

Briles made an immediate impact at Arkansas in his first season, helping the Razorbacks post their best offensive numbers in five seasons. He made both the running game and the passing game immediately noticeable, leading the Power 5 teams in 2021 and ranked second in the FBS in rushing yards. In two years, he brought Arkansas to 7th nationally in rushing and 15th in total offense.

After spending two years at TCU, he improved the Horned Frogs’ offense. TCU averaged 30.8 points per game, 132.6 rushing yards per game, 292.8 passing yards per game, and 425.3 total yards per game, which is significantly better than the Gamecocks’ this season. His proven ability has made him a standout for the South Carolina job.