Jeff Lebby, Art Briles brazenly broke whatever boundaries OU football had in place

NORMAN — OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby got straight to the point Monday in his weekly press conference.

“I suspect some of you might have questions regarding my father-in-law, his presence at the game Saturday night, and I want to go ahead and address this,” Lebby began.

Lebby apologized for the “distraction” caused by his father-in-law and former boss, Art Briles, by being on the field after OU’s win against SMU.

It was indeed a distraction. Here was Briles, who failed at every turn to adequately acknowledge or handle a series of sexual assault allegations made against his Baylor players, on Owen Field repping crimson and cream.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said in a statement, “and it was my expectation it never would, based on boundaries we previously set.”

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Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby watches player go through warm up before the college football game between the University of Oklahoma and the Kent State Golden Flashes at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept., 10, 2022.

Which raises the most pressing question, one Lebby declined to answer Monday: What was that boundary OU set regarding Briles? Which would’ve led to a natural follow-up: Why was that boundary crossed?

“I’ve said what I was going to say on the matter today,” Lebby said in response, “and we’re going to talk about Tulsa.”

No offense to Tulsa, but OU fans, who were overwhelmingly aligned on social media in their disgust Saturday night, showed they have more questions about the Briles situation than they do about how the Sooners are going to attack the Golden Hurricane defense.

The Oklahoman, upon following up with an athletics department spokesperson after Lebby’s press conference, received the following statement on what boundaries were set: “The matter is being addressed internally.”

The matter could have been avoided altogether had OU in 2021 not hired Lebby, an OU graduate and assistant at Baylor from 2008-16 who rallied support for Briles after Briles’ dismissal with #CAB T-shirts, standing for Coach Art Briles, a man who perpetuated a culture of 52 alleged rapes by 31 of his players.

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OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby walks off the field with OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. after a 28-11 win vs. SMU on Saturday.

If you think Lebby deserved a second chance at coaching, don’t credit OU for that. Lebby was not destitute. He was the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss when Brent Venables and the Sooners, who could’ve had their choice among the top offensive minds in the country, chose Lebby and the baggage that came with him.

OU, upon hiring Lebby, set up “boundaries” to distance itself from Briles, but those boundaries were broken Saturday night. And Lebby, rather than taking responsibility after the game, instead acted like no such boundary existed.

Apparently Lebby has been reminded.

“Joe Castiglione and Coach Venables have both addressed concerns with me, have talked to me about it and, again, can make sure that everybody understands that this is something that will not come up again,” Lebby said.

Maybe Lebby and Briles will listen this time.

Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jeff Lebby, Art Briles broke whatever boundaries OU football had set