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Report: Baylor hires ex-Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe

By The Sports Xchange
Former Baylor Bear's head coach Art Briles yells to his team as they face the Michaigan State Spartans in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas on January 1, 2015. Ian Halperin/UPI
Former Baylor Bear's head coach Art Briles yells to his team as they face the Michaigan State Spartans in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas on January 1, 2015. Ian Halperin/UPI | License Photo

Baylor has hired former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe to coach the Bears this upcoming season, according to the school's 247Sports website.

Grobe will replace Art Briles, who was fired last week amid a sex scandal that rocked the Waco institution.

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Baylor was finalizing the details Monday with an announcement expected either Monday night or sometime Tuesday.

Grobe, 64, spent 13 years at Wake Forest where he led the Demon Deacons to an Atlantic Coast Conference title in 2006 and an appearance in the Orange Bowl. From 2006-2008, Wake won 28 games.

He compiled an overall 77-82 record with the Demon Deacons and his teams played in five bowl games.

Grobe last roamed the sidelines in 2013, but after a 4-8 season, he resigned.

Briles was the highest paid coach in the Big 12. He had eight years remaining on his contract that paid him about $6 million per season. In eight seasons in Waco, Briles finished with a 65-37 record.

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.

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Several incidents of sexual assault were included in the report. Among those: defensive end Tevin Elliott, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a Baylor student in 2012; defensive end Sam Ukwuachu, a transfer from Boise State, who was convicted of sexual assault; defensive end Shawn Oakman who is being investigated for sexual assault.

A recent investigation by ESPN's Outside the Lines alleged that Baylor players Tre'Von Armstead and Shamycheal Chatman were named as suspects in a sexual assault that took place more than two years ago but never were charged.

Just on Friday, defensive coordinator Phil Bennett was named interim coach. But many questioned that decision, wondering how much the current staff knew of the scandal.

The fate of the current staff has yet to be determined.

In addition to the firing of Briles, athletic director Ian McCaw has been sanctioned and placed on probation and Ken Starr was removed as university president after Hamilton's investigation revealed deep and troubling patterns of disregard for alleged victims of sexual assault and violence at the hands of members of the football team.

"I applaud the Board for its transparency," Starr said in a statement. "It must be known, however, that I was not privy to any of the allegations regarding interpersonal violence until the fall of 2015, at which time I immediately launched an internal investigation before recommending to the Board an independent external investigation, which the Board then commissioned with Pepper Hamilton. ...

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"To those victims who were not treated with the care, concern and support they deserve, I am profoundly sorry."

Additional administrative and athletic department personnel were relieved of their duties but weren't identified by the university.

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