TCU Loses OC Kendal Briles to South Carolina

TCU’s offensive staff just took a hit. Kendal Briles is out as offensive coordinator in Fort Worth and is heading to South Carolina to take the same role under Shane Beamer. After three seasons running Sonny Dykes’ offense, Briles is packing it up and heading to the SEC. That’s about as abrupt as it gets.

In 2025, his unit ranked third in the Big 12 in total offense (425.3 YPG), second in passing yards (292.8YPG), 14th in rushing yards (132.6 YPG), and seventh in points per game with 30.8.

Still, it’s not like Briles was some long-term staple at TCU. He showed up ahead of the 2023 season after Garrett Riley dipped for Clemson, and the expectations were big. The offense showed flashes, but also never fully lived up to what it showed during the 2022 run to the national title game. TCU went 8-4 this year, kept things moving, and found ways to win tight ballgames. It wasn’t a high-flying show, but it was enough to keep folks from panicking.

Now, Dykes has to go back to the drawing board. That’s two OCs in a few years who’ve bolted, and for a team that’s still trying to find its identity, that’s not exactly ideal timing. Whoever comes in next will have to build a relationship with Josh Hoover, a shifting offensive line, and a fanbase that isn’t going to sit around hoping it clicks by Week 7.

As for Briles, he gets a fresh start in Columbia, and say what you want about the guy, he’s had offenses that produce. There’s always noise with Briles, and you know that walking in. But South Carolina’s betting on production over PR, and if it clicks, nobody over there is going to care what message boards are saying.

For TCU, it’s another offseason shakeup. They’ve got talent and infrastructure, but none of that matters if there’s no consistency. Sonny Dykes has done a solid job keeping the program relevant, but this next hire has to hit. Another miss, and it’s not just the OC who’s going to be under the microscope.