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Bears assistant Lebby suspended for first half of Baylor-OU game
One day after Baylor coach Art Briles said he would not seek punishment against assistant coach Jeff Lebby for being on the Tulsa sideline against Oklahoma last Saturday, Baylor's athletic director has decided otherwise.
Lebby will be suspended for the first half of the Baylor-Oklahoma game on Nov. 14 in Waco. The suspension is being imposed by Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw and supported by Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who issued a public reprimanded of Lebby.
"The opportunity for Coach Lebby to scout a future opponent by being on the sideline of a conference member’s opponent is inconsistent with the principles and expectations of the Big 12 Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Policy,” Bowlsby said in a statement. “I appreciate the action of Baylor athletics director Ian McCaw in addressing this matter and accept the University’s self-imposed penalty.”
Lebby is Briles' son-in-law and was also a former player and student coach at Oklahoma under Stoops. He was on Tulsa's sideline because of a relationship with first-year Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery, who previously served as Baylor's offensive coordinator.
He is the second Briles family member to be suspended in the first month of the season. Briles' son Kendal, the Bears' offensive coordinator, and wide receivers coach Tate Wallis were suspended one game for recruiting violations.
Briles called the incident with Lebby "embarrassing," and said he had no knowledge Lebby was in Norman, Okla., during the Bears' off-week. Montgomery took the blame, saying he provided passes for Lebby and his wife to attend the game while they were in the area over the weekend for a wedding.
Stoops was not happy about Lebby's sideline presence when he found about it after the game and said the Big 12 and NCAA should be notified and act.
The incident promises to ratchet up this budding rivalry in which Baylor has won the last two meetings, including a blow out of the Sooners in Norman last season.
(h/t The Oklahoman)
