Baylor coach Art Briles said that he’s focusing on his bowl game, and that someone else is holding his cell phone, but he admitted Tuesday that the idea of the NFL intrigues him.
Given that there’s a coaching opening in Washington with his star pupil, quarterback Robert Griffin III, those dots are going to get connected.
But from an official transcript of his Fiesta Bowl press conference today, Briles said he’s had no contact from the Redskins or any NFL team yet.
“I don’t think I’ve got a missed call from Dan Snyder, do I? Okay,” Briles said. “It’s all rumors and speculation. I haven’t had any contact with anyone collegiately or NFL.”
He then went on to say the thing college coaches always say, about loving the job, and how great it was and how singular his focus was in the upcoming huge game against Central Florida.
But then he kept talking, and it got more interesting.
“As far as interest in the NFL, if we’re just being honest, which I like to be, the thing that would interest me would be our style of play at that level,” Briles said. “That’s the only thing that would attract anybody I think in a position that I’m in, would be the style of play. I like how we play from a philosophical, schematic standpoint. I know the rules are different. The limitations on the number of people available in a game. To me that works to an advantage. If they have 46 guys available, there’s going to be a few of them getting tired on one side of the ball.
“That would be the only thing that would spark my interest a little bit on that end. But it’s not something I would pursue.”
Of course, he’s not holding his own cell phone right now, so it’s hard for him to be pursued. But it sounds like he might listen.