How Does Ukwuachu Trial Affect Art Briles?

As the sexual assault case of former Boise State and Baylor player Sam Ukwuachu wraps up, the questions surrounding Art Briles’ decision making to accept him as a transfer have begun to swirl. The 59-year old coach denies he knew of the sexual assault allegations when he brought in Ukwuachu as a transfer from Boise State following dismissal from the team in 2013.

The 22-year old Ukwuachu was found guilty of sexually assaulting a female athlete while at Boise State on Thursday. Ukwuachu was sentenced to 180 days in prison, with 10 years of felony probation and 400 hours of community service. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. The sentence could have carried a 20 year prison term, but the jury suggested probation in this matter.

ESPN’s Legal Analyst Roger Cossack said that this is a rare event that usually occurs when there is doubt surrounding the circumstances of the event. Ukwuachu also had previous red flags regarding an old girl friend, who claimed he abused her during their relationship.

Ukwuachu shrugged off these two incidents when he first arrived at Baylor, telling local media the following statement:

"“It was a personal issue that I don’t want to go in depth with, but it wasn’t a big issue. A minor problem occurred and the coaches decided I needed to get a fresh start with somebody else.”"

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Briles says that the now former head coach of Boise State (and current Washington head coach) Chris Peterson made no mention of Ukwuachu’s legal issues. On the other hand, Peterson says he made the issue fully aware during their initial phone conversation regarding Ukwuachu’s eventual transfer from Boise State to Baylor.

Baylor coach Art Briles released the following statement on Friday evening.

"“I was contacted by Coach Petersen at Boise State in Spring 2013 and he told me he had a player from Texas who needed to get closer to home and that he thought our program would be a good spot for him,” said Briles. “I know and respect Coach Petersen and he would never recommend a student-athlete to Baylor that he didn’t believe in. In our discussion, he did not disclose that there had been violence toward women, but he did tell me of a rocky relationship with his girlfriend which contributed to his depression. The only disciplinary action I was aware of were team-related issues, insubordination of coaches and missing practice.“In addition, I talked with Tony Heath, his high school coach, who gave us a great recommendation.“As required with any transfer to Baylor, Boise State acknowledged that he was not suspended due to any institutional disciplinary reasons and further that he was eligible for competition if he chose to return to Boise State.”"

Baylor released the official transfer paperwork to the media in the midst of this conflict.

Peterson responded to Briles and has attempted several times to distance himself from the trial:

"“After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles,” Petersen said in the statement. “In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam’s disciplinary record and dismissal.”"

The ultimate football factor is what Art Briles knew when he agreed to have Ukwuachu admitted into Baylor. The coach was reportedly excited to get Ukwuachu on the field after the transfer, but soon found out about the alleged circumstances following the young defender.

At face value, it shouldn’t a fireable offense. It’s a classic “he said, she said” between coaches Briles and Peterson. It’s not comparable to Joe Paterno’s alleged knowing of Jerry Sanduskys conduct; while some investigative reports have cleared Paterno’s name in the case. What Art Briles supposedly knew and saw was an athletic defender who could help build his program.

Baylor University says it will launch a “comprehensive internal inquiry into the circumstances associated with the case the conduct of the offices involved.”

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