Craven: In order to move forward, Baylor must hold assistants accountable

[caption id="attachment_22755" align="aligncenter" width="640"]Photo by Doug Holleman Photo by Doug Holleman[/caption] The Baylor Bears taught a lesson in how not to handle a self-inflicted tragedy. At nearly every turn surrounding the scandal this offseason, Baylor was late to react. It culminated in famed head coach Art Briles fired and the 2016 recruiting class in shambles. A program screaming towards national respectability crashed back down to the streets of Waco. Jim Grobe was hired to ease the building tension towards the football program, but this didn’t end the bad PR. A few days after declaring his program was free of predators, an offensive lineman was charged with stalking. The Bears then announced that no assistant coaches would be available to the media during the season. You know, the men who were actually on campus when the assaults took place. Baylor should be turning the page. The Bears must stop digging. The assistant coaches are grown men and should be able to answer questions. The community deserves some of those questions to be asked. Preventing the assistant coaches from speaking instills the idea that Baylor wants to avoid distractions during football season. Again, Baylor is making a decision that benefits football first and last. The season is approaching and a dilemma is quickly approaching. Baylor should be good again in 2016. The Bears return a talented quarterback, perhaps the best running back in the state, a decent offensive line and a plethora of weapons at wide receiver and tight end. The defense must replace the starters on the defensive line, but the linebackers and secondary should be more experienced this season. Baylor is switching to a 3-4 defense to put more speed on the field and to highlight the strength of the linebacker position. Baylor was my pick to win the Big 12 before the rock was removed around the program and Briles was relieved of his duty. A bulk of the players expected to play for what was once a title-contending team is still on campus. Grobe is an adequate coach with a track record of success. The issue for Baylor – as far as football goes – takes place in a few years as the recruiting hits start to take tolls on the roster. Talent won’t be this team’s excuse if a collapse takes place. The excuse will be pressure and distraction. This is an excuse for a team when the crime was committed by one man. The Pepper Hamilton Report suggests what happened at Baylor was systematic. It was a handful of players being protected by a business unwilling to sacrifice full stadiums and bowl games for the greater good. Unfortunately, that’s not the cross that the Baylor football players still on the team and Grobe must bear. Not allowing anyone involved at the time to answer questions only makes it a longer walk.