TCU offensive coordinator Kendal Briles could be headed to the SEC.
Briles is becoming a key target for South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, according to multiple reports. A source confirmed to the Star-Telegram that the Gamecocks are zeroing in on Briles for the position, but a deal has yet to be finalized as of Saturday.
Beamer parted ways with offensive coordinator Mike Shula in November. The Gamecocks finished 4-8 after beginning the year ranked No. 13 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25.
Briles spent three seasons with TCU, joining the program after Garrett Riley joined Clemson after helping the Horned Frogs reach the national championship game in 2022.
Briles was a controversial hire for TCU head coach Sonny Dykes because of his time on staff at Baylor from 2008-16 under his father, Art Briles. In 2016, Baylor came under fire amid a university-wide scandal involving the mishandling of sexual assault claims against football players.
A lawsuit filed after the scandal alleged that Kendal Briles told a recruit, “Do you like white women? Because we have a lot of them at Baylor, and they love football players.” The alleged comment led to an initial backlash to his hiring at TCU.
On the field, TCU was inconsistent but overall had a productive offense under Briles. The Horned Frogs finished 41st, 25th and 44th nationally in scoring offense under Briles and never had a season averaging under 30 points.
TCU also had back-to-back 1,000 yard receivers with Jack Bech in 2024 and Eric McAlister this season. Quarterback Josh Hoover also set the single-season passing record under Briles in 2024.
However, the Horned Frogs had one of the worst rushing offenses in the Big 12 the past two seasons, finishing 14th this season and 13th last season out of 16 teams.
Hoover also didn’t take the expected leap many believed he would this season. He struggled with turnovers down the stretch, and TCU fell out of the Big 12 title race.
Now Dykes will be tasked with finding the third offensive coordinator of his tenure, and it may be the biggest hire he’ll have to make as TCU faces a pivotal fifth season of the Dykes era.
Riley, who is still at Clemson, and Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, the former head coach of West Virginia and Houston, are two early names to watch to replace Briles if he departs to South Carolina.
This story was originally published December 6, 2025 at 12:51 PM.
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