Former Washington quarterback Doug Williams, who attended Grambling State University and became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, said he’s “not a fan at all” of his alum’s new hire.
Grambling State hired former Baylor head football coach Art Briles as its offensive coordinator, a school spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. Briles will work under first-year head coach Hue Jackson.
The hiring has sparked some backlash among alumni since Briles was fired by Baylor in 2016 following a sexual assault scandal surrounding the university’s football program.
“I’m very, very disappointed in Grambling, I really am,” Williams told the Washington Post following the hiring. “I talked to the (athletic director) a couple times. They knew where I stood, but they did it and if that’s what they want to do, that’s fine. I’m out.”
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Grambling Athletic Director Trayveon Scott told ESPN that they “did the homework” on Briles and were “able to move forward in support of Coach Jackson’s recommendation.”
“We felt it (was appropriate) to give him a chance to really redeem himself after understanding where the facts lie,” Scott told the outlet.
Briles was fired by Baylor in May 2016 after an investigation by law firm Pepper Hamilton found the school botched several sexual assault cases, including some involving football players. He and other Baylor officials reportedly failed to take disciplinary action against several football players accused of rape despite being aware of the allegations.
Williams said he can’t continue to support Grambling, an HBCU in Louisiana, because he “can’t condone” the behavior.
“Oh, no. I can’t (support) that,” Williams said. “If I support them, I condone it.”
Williams served as the head coach of Grambling State from 1998–2003, succeeding College Football Hall of Famer Eddie Robinson, who Williams played under in the 1970s before becoming a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1978. =
Williams returned for a second stint as the Grambling head coach from 2011–2013.
He currently serves as a special senior advisor to Washington Commanders President Jason Wright.
Contributing: Scooby Axson
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doug Williams ‘very disappointed’ by Grambling’s hiring of Art Briles