Interim Baylor president: 'This is not an institution of football'

David Garland has a very daunting mess at Baylor to work through as interim president, and one element of that mess is the case of dismissed head coach Art Briles.

Reports of boosters calling for a one-year suspension for the disgraced coach have surfaced and according to ESPN.com, that idea has started to gain traction. Garland acknowledged that the idea of bringing Briles back to Baylor has been proposed, but also that nothing is guaranteed.

Mike Leslie of WFAA reports that Garland was also surprised that a previously scheduled meeting scheduled for Monday night suddenly became seen as a sort of decision day involving Briles' future with the school.

"I was really caught off guard by all this," Garland said Monday afternoon. "The meeting was scheduled before, and for quite a different issue."

In regards to the goals of the acting president, Garland was very specific in what he sees as the true values of Baylor as an institution.

"This is not an institution of football," he said. "It is an institution of higher education, and we happen to play football. Our major mission is to educate students. That's what we want the focus to be on. And also to protect the safety of our students.

"This is going to be the safest place on the planet, because we're so concerned about these kinds of issues."

The influence of donors and boosters on the handling of Briles' future adds yet another wrinkle into the issue that has shook Baylor to its very foundation. The Monday meeting with Baylor's board of regents was scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.