Baylor reportedly considering one-year suspension for Art Briles

Some of Baylor's biggest donors reportedly are pushing to bring back Art Briles as football coach in 2017.

USA TODAY Sports reported Monday that a "small minority" of Baylor donors want Briles to serve a one-year suspension and then return to coaching, but the newspaper reported it was "unlikely" to happen.

Horns Digest reported that the Baylor board of regents would vote Monday night on whether to bring back Briles, citing a source. Waco television station KWTX, citing sources, also reported that a "very close" vote was scheduled for Monday.

Baylor suspended Briles on May 26 "with an intent to terminate" amid the controversy over the school's handling of rape allegations involving football players.

In the wake of an investigation detailing a pattern of sexual assaults at the school, president Ken Starr was removed and athletic director Ian McCaw resigned. Starr also later resigned from his new position as chancellor but will continue to teach in the law school.

According to KCEN-TV, Bears players have been informed of the plan to try to bring back Briles.

"We don't know yet. We'd like to see that," Bob Simpson, a co-owner of the Texas Rangers and Baylor donor, told the Dallas Morning News.

Briles, 60, was 65-37 in eight seasons while taking the program to unprecedented heights. The Bears have won 10 or more games in four of the past five seasons.

Briles had eight years left on his contract when he was let go amid detailed findings that revealed the football program turned a cold shoulder to alleged victims of sexual assault and violence.

Briles' dismissal was prompted by the findings of independent law firm Pepper Hamilton, LLP, which conducted an investigation into how the school handled numerous alleged sexual assaults, including incidents involving several Baylor football players.

Baylor hired former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe as interim coach on May 30. Since the decision to severe ties with Briles, the majority of players in the 2017 recruiting class have backed out of their commitments and some of the incoming players have requested to be allowed to leave and enroll at other schools.