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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Art Briles, the head football coach at Baylor |
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University, has earned the heartfelt appreciation of the team's |
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loyal fans by restoring the Bears to national prominence; and |
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WHEREAS, During his five years at the university, Coach |
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Briles has led his team to a historic 10-win season and its best |
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poll ranking since 1986, and he has produced Baylor's first bowl |
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victories in two decades; in addition, the guidance he provided to |
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Robert Griffin III helped the quarterback to become the first |
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Heisman Trophy winner in the program's history; and |
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WHEREAS, An all-state quarterback at Rule High School, Art |
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Briles went on to play wide receiver for the University of Houston; |
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he graduated with a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University |
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and later earned a master's degree from Abilene Christian |
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University; and |
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WHEREAS, He began his coaching career in 1979 at the high |
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school level and worked at several campuses before taking the head |
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coaching job at Stephenville High School in 1988; during his |
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12-year tenure with the Yellow Jackets, Coach Briles led the team to |
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four state championships, including back-to-back titles in 1998 and |
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1999; his accomplishments were honored with his induction into the |
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Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and the Big Country Athletic |
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Hall of Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, Moving to the college ranks, he coached running |
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backs at Texas Tech for three years before taking the top job at the |
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University of Houston in 2003; this talented mentor brought about |
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dramatic improvements for the Cougars, and he was selected as the |
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Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2006 after steering the team to |
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the conference championship; and |
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WHEREAS, On November 28, 2007, Coach Briles took charge of |
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the Baylor University football program, and he led his first Bears |
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squad onto the field the following year; as part of his rebuilding |
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effort, he has used his superb recruiting skills to bring in |
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numerous top-flight players, and the athletes who have accepted |
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scholarships since 2009 have been the school's highest-ranked |
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signing classes in the Big 12 era; and |
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WHEREAS, After three seasons of dedicated work, Baylor burst |
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into the national spotlight in 2011; paced by the phenomenal |
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performance of Robert Griffin III, the Bears compiled a six-game |
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winning streak on their way to a 10-3 overall record, and they |
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defeated Oklahoma for the first time ever; the season concluded |
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with a thrilling 67-56 triumph over Washington in the Alamo Bowl, |
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which helped the team to claim the number 12 ranking in the final |
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USA Today Coaches Poll; as a result of Baylor's fine showing, Coach |
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Briles was selected as a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach |
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of the Year Award; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2012, the Bears continued their momentum, |
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establishing an 8-5 record and closing out the year with four |
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consecutive wins, including a commanding 49-26 defeat of UCLA in |
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the Holiday Bowl; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his expertise and commitment to excellence, |
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Art Briles has engineered the remarkable gridiron resurgence of the |
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Bears, and his teams are sure to be a source of excitement for |
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members of the Baylor Nation in the years ahead; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Art Briles for his noteworthy coaching |
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achievements at Baylor University and extend to him sincere best |
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wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Coach Briles as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |