Baylor football coach Art Briles was fired in disgrace Thursday, cited for running a cesspool program that overlooked sexual assault complaints against players and in some cases willfully suppressed the allegations.
In just one example from the horrifying case files, Briles recruited talented defensive end Sam Ukwuachu despite allegedly being notified by Ukwuachu’s previous coach that he had been dismissed in part for choking a former girlfriend. Ukwuachu was convicted last year of sexually assaulting a female soccer player while at Baylor.
None of this discouraged current Baylor players for speaking out — on Twitter, naturally — against Briles’ ouster, in the names of loyalty and defiance.
Baylor junior linebacker Taylor Young delivered a multi-purpose rant throughout the early afternoon:
There were outtakes, too, tweets Young apparently reconsidered after his initial outrage: “I don’t think I can play Baylor football without having my headcoach back leading the charge coach Briles did everything by the books!!!” and “you let go of the man who made this university relevant? i bet if we was 1-10 this wouldn’t even make the local news.”
Here is a sample of the outpouring:
Defensive end Shawn Oakman also tweeted — and deleted — a vague condemnation of Baylor’s decision: “It be the same sword they knight you with they will use to night you with.”
If Oakman’s name sounds familiar, it is likely because he was charged last month in Texas with sexual assault. Briles welcomed Oakman after he was kicked off the team at Penn State.