This profile is part of a series by Jeremy Pernell, who has identified several potential candidates to fill Nebraska’s vacancy at offensive coordinator after head coach Matt Rhule’s firing of Dana Holgorsen. | Prev. • Intro • Next

Full disclosure, I've long been a fan of Kendal Briles' offenses and if you're a regular reader of mine, you know I've mentioned him every time Nebraska has had an offensive coordinator opening — going back to Bo Pelini and Scott Frost.

If head coach Matt Rhule wants an established Power Four offensive coordinator, Kendal Briles belongs near the top of the list having spent more than a decade calling plays in the SEC, ACC and Big 12.

There aren't many coaches with his background.

Briles began his career working under his father, Art Briles, at Baylor, where he helped develop the Bears' explosive spread offense before becoming offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2015.

He subsequently coordinated offenses at Florida Atlantic, Houston, Florida State, Arkansas and TCU before Shane Beamer hired him at South Carolina last December.

He's also demonstrated that his system can produce elite rushing and passing attacks.

In 2015, Baylor led the nation in scoring at 48.1 points per game and total offense at 616.2 yards.

That team featured receiver Corey Coleman, who won the Biletnikoff Award and became a first-round NFL Draft pick.

Briles subsequently joined Lane Kiffin at Florida Atlantic in 2017, helping the Owls win the Conference USA championship while averaging 40.6 points and 498.4 yards per game. They ranked eighth and ninth nationally in those categories.

Running back Devin Singletary rushed for 1,920 yards and scored 32 rushing touchdowns, earning Conference USA MVP honors.x

At Houston in 2018, quarterback D'Eriq King accounted for 50 touchdowns in just 11 games, throwing 36 and rushing for another 14.

Those are video game numbers and illustrate one of the most appealing aspects of Briles' offensive philosophy.

His version of the veer-and-shoot combines extremely wide receiver alignments, tempo, vertical passing concepts and RPOs that punish defenses for committing too many players to one area.

Like Decker's system, the spacing can create advantageous numbers in the running game.

Briles has also demonstrated that his approach works against SEC defenses.

At Arkansas, his offenses finished seventh nationally in rushing in consecutive seasons, averaging 227.8 yards per game in 2021 and 236.5 in 2022.

The 2022 Razorbacks also ranked 15th nationally in total offense at 471.2 yards per game.

That offense featured running back Raheim Sanders, an Associated Press first-team All-SEC selection, and center Ricky Stromberg, who earned first-team all-conference honors and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy.

Briles' tenure at TCU demonstrated a different side of his system.

The Horned Frogs finished among the nation's top 10 passing offenses in each of his three seasons. Quarterback Josh Hoover set a school record with 3,949 passing yards in 2024, while tight end Jared Wiley earned first-team All-Big 12 recognition in 2023.

His first season at South Carolina has provided a good balance of run and pass.

The Gamecocks rank 24th nationally in scoring at 34.7 points per game and 21st in total offense at 452.6 yards. They're averaging 205.4 rushing yards, ranking 20th, and 247.1 passing yards, ranking 41st.

Briles also brings considerable experience developing quarterbacks with different skill sets, from mobile players like King and Arkansas' KJ Jefferson to more traditional passers such as Hoover.

There's little question about his qualifications, but there are significant financial obstacles.

South Carolina signed Briles to a three-year, $6.3 million contract that pays him $2 million this season, $2.1 million in 2027 and $2.2 million in 2028.

That's considerably more than Nebraska paid Dana Holgorsen, and his agreement includes provisions governing an early departure, meaning athletic director Troy Dannen would need to invest serious resources into recruiting Briles away from Columbia. He would be rolling the dice that this wouldn't be a one-year investment if Rhule failed to guide Nebraska to the playoffs in 2027 and the two-sides moved on from each other.

Yes, Briles is already coordinating an SEC offense, has considerable control over his system and is one of the highest-paid offensive coordinators in the country.

Even so, I wouldn't automatically dismiss him as an unrealistic target. He's something of a coaching nomad.

Since leaving Baylor following the 2016 season, Briles has worked at six different schools in 10 seasons, including a stretch where he spent one year apiece at Florida Atlantic, Houston and Florida State before landing at Arkansas in 2020.

He spent three seasons with the Razorbacks before leaving the SEC for TCU, where he stayed another three years before returning to the SEC at South Carolina this season.

Not every move has represented an obvious step up, either. That history suggests Briles isn't afraid to change jobs when an intriguing opportunity presents itself.

Granted, given the current circumstances, convincing him to leave after just one year would be difficult, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding Matt Rhule's future. But Briles has shown a willingness to move around throughout his career. Why not make him say no?

Briles has produced some of the most explosive offenses in college football and has demonstrated that his system can support a powerful running game against major-conference competition.