REPORT: Kendal Briles Could Depart for SEC

Reports surrounding Briles and the South Carolina Gamecocks continue to swirl

TCU offensive coordinator and associate head coach Kendal Briles talks to quarterback Josh Hoover (10) before the Frogs take the field for an offensive series. | TCU Athletics

Kendal Briles is rumored to join the South Carolina Gamecocks after spending three years as TCU’s offensive coordinator. It will be Briles’ first time coaching in the SEC since 2022–his third and final season at Arkansas.

Is TCU offensive coordinator Kendal Briles headed to the SEC? https://t.co/akAP2eCyLz

— The State Newspaper (@thestate) December 6, 2025

Briles’ time in Fort Worth came with its ups and downs. As the associate head coach and quarterbacks coach, he led the Frogs to a potent 2024 season, ranking among the best offenses in the nation.

With Briles as offensive coordinator, the Horned Frogs posted a 21-15 regular-season record and a 14-13 conference record. TCU’s offense ranked among the top 10 in the country in Briles’ first two seasons, including a conference-leading red zone scoring rate at 91.2% in the 2024 season. He has been statistically successful at TCU, leading the Frogs to the second-best passing offense in the Big 12 in each of his three seasons.

The opening with the Gamecocks comes as they fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula in November. South Carolina is coming off an incredibly disappointing 4-8 season, with just one SEC win coming against Kentucky in late September. The program is just one year removed from a 9-4 season and a 5-3 conference record when Beamer was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2023.

Briles will reunite with a familiar face in Columbia, SC–former TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati. Donati spent 14 years in Fort Worth from 2011 to 2024 and had been the athletic director since 2017.

Another key figure here includes TCU running backs coach Jimmy Smith, who is rumored to join Briles in his move to South Carolina. Before joining the Horned Frogs in 2024, Smith was the running backs coach at Arkansas, where he also spent time on staff with Briles. In Smith’s two years with the program, the rushing game has seriously struggled. The Frogs ranked 13th in the conference with just 113.9 rushing yards per game in 2024. Now in 2025, TCU has fallen to 14th in rushing offense, averaging 132.6 rushing yards per game.

With Briles moving closer to a move to South Carolina, Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs will have a big vacancy to fill at offensive coordinator.

What’s Next for the Horned Frogs?

As the Horned Frogs await their bowl game announcement, both players and coaches can take this time to rest and recover. Stay up to date with coaching moves and transfer portal news here on TCU Horned Frogs On SI.