Kendal Briles - Football Coach

Kendal Briles

Title:
Associate Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks | 1st Season

Kendal Briles joined the TCU football staff in January 2023 as associate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

In each of Briles' two seasons at TCU, the Horned Frogs have ranked among the national leaders in several offensive categories. The Horned Frogs were eighth in passing offense (312.9 yards per game) in 2024 as quarterback Josh Hoover set a TCU season record with 3,949 yards. TCU was also third nationally in fourth-down conversions (78.3 percent, 18-of-23) and 13th in red-zone offense (91.2 percent, 52-of-57). In Briles' first year in Fort Worth, TCU ranked 11th in the FBS in total offense (466.7 yards per game) and seventh in passing (312.2). Both marks were TCU's highest averages since 2015. Briles mentored Hoover into being the 2023 Honorable-Mention Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.

A 2015 Broyles Award Finalist, Briles came to TCU after serving the previous three seasons in a similar role at Arkansas. TCU is his sixth school as an offensive coordinator.

Prior to his time in Fayetteville, Briles directed offenses and was the play caller at Florida State, Houston, FAU and Baylor. At each of his stops, his units were ranked among the nation’s leaders in offense as well as showing dramatic improvement from the year prior to his arrival.

The 2022 season saw Arkansas rank seventh nationally in rushing (236.7 yards per game) and 15th in total offense (471.4 yards per game). The Razorbacks’ 3,075 yards rushing were their most since 2003. Arkansas' balance on offense made it one of just three FBS teams in 2022 to average more than 230 yards rushing and 230 passing per game.

Briles made an immediate impact at Arkansas in his first season in 2020. He inherited an offense that averaged just 21.4 points and 340.1 yards per game the previous year and led the Razorbacks to an improvement of more than 50 yards per game with an average of 391.5 per contest. The following season, Arkansas posted its best offensive numbers in five seasons with averages of 30.9 points and 441.7 yards per game.

Briles’ emphasis on both the running game and passing game was immediately noticeable. Arkansas led all Power 5 teams in 2021 and ranked second in the FBS with 227.8 rushing yards per game, the most since the Razorbacks set a school record in 2007. The Hogs eclipsed 300 yards rushing three times, including a season-best 353 in the Outback Bowl win over Penn State. Arkansas’ rushing attack defined explosive with 113 runs of 10-plus yards to rank second nationally.

Briles’ impact on the passing game was also noticeable in the Razorbacks’ record book. The top-two seasons in completion percentage came under Briles. In 2020, Feleipe Franks set a program record by connecting on 68.5 percent of his passes. In 2021, KJ Jefferson posted the second-best mark at 67.3 percent.

At Florida State in 2019, Briles took over a struggling unit that ranked 103rd in total offense (361.2 yards per game) and 113th in scoring (21.9 points). In his lone season in Tallahassee, he engineered an offensive turnaround that saw the Seminoles average 29.1 points and 403.2 yards per game. FSU’s running game saw the biggest improvement, going from one of the worst in the FBS (91.1 yards per game) in 2018 to 133.8 each contest.

Briles was behind one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2018 at Houston. The Cougars ranked in the top 10 in both total offense (512.5 yards per game) and points per game (43.9). Houston was one of just three teams to place in the top-25 nationally in passing and rushing, averaging 295.5 yards in the air and 216.8 on the ground. The Cougars defined explosive, scoring at least 30 points in each of the first 12 games of the season, including 40-plus points in the opening eight contests. Houston led the NCAA with at least 40 points in 10 games. The offense scored in 47 of 52 quarters. Houston had 42 scoring drives of less than two minutes and ranked fifth in the country with 92 plays of 20-plus yards. Its 44 plays of at least 30 yards placed seventh in the nation.

Briles coordinated the offense at FAU in 2017, helping the Owls to top-10 rankings in rushing (285.3 yards per game), scoring (40.6 points per game) and total offense (498.4 per game). Briles was instrumental in FAU winning its first Conference USA championship, including a victory in the Boca Raton Bowl. Devin Singletary became FAU’s first Associated Press All-American as he led the nation with 32 rushing touchdowns, en route to being a third-round pick by the Chicago Bears.

The first nine years of Briles’ coaching career came at Baylor. His first game as the play caller was the 2015 Cotton Bowl, when the Bears set an NCAA bowl record with 601 passing yards against Michigan State. 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 his final two seasons in Waco. His recruiting efforts were recognized in 2013 and 2014 as the Big 12’s Recruiter of the Year.

In 2015, Briles led Baylor’s offense to historic numbers. The Bears topped the nation at 48.1 points per game and 616.2 yards of total offense, the third-best mark in NCAA history. Behind an NCAA bowl record 645 rushing yards and a bowl mark 756 in total offense, Baylor closed the season with a win over No. 10 North Carolina in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Briles’ 2016 unit led the Big 12 in rushing with 241.2 yards per game. Baylor’s 2013 offense, when he was passing game coordinator, produced the second-highest total offense season average in NCAA history at 618.8 yards per game.

During his seven years as the Bears’ wide receivers coach, Briles tutored four All-Americans and five eventual NFL receivers.

Briles was an outstanding high school quarterback in Texas. He earned Texas 4A Offensive Player of the Year honors in each of his final two seasons after generating 9,322 yards of total offense and accounting for 98 touchdowns. He began his collegiate playing career at Texas. After redshirting in 2001, he played seven games at safety and intercepted two passes in 2002. He then transferred to Houston and moved to wide receiver, catching 70 passes for 680 yards and a touchdown. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Houston in 2005 and was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Briles and his wife, Sarah, have three children: sons Jaytn and Kru, and daughter Kinley.