Art Briles appearing on OU's field is being 'dealt with,' Venables says

NORMAN — While Oklahoma came away Saturday with a 28-11 win over SMU, there was one thing that appeared out of place in the postgame celebration on the field.

That'd be former Baylor coach Art Briles.

Briles, the father-in-law of OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, was pictured on the field while wearing OU apparel in the minutes following the Sooners' win. Briles was fired in 2016 following an investigation into a massive sexual assault scandal at Baylor while he was the football program's head coach.

OU head coach Brent Venables said he was not aware of Briles' presence on the field until shortly before his postgame press conference, and he said the issue is "being dealt with." Lebby, however, offered a different response.

"That’s my father-in-law," Lebby said. "He’s my father-in-law. That’s the grandfather to my two kids. So he was down with our entire family after the game, well after the game. He was down there with the entire family."

OU athletic director Joe Castiglione, in a statement, suggested Briles wasn't allowed to be on the field.

"I was just as disappointed as many of our fans when I learned of the postgame situation tonight," Castligione said in a statement. "It shouldn't have happened and it was my expectation it never would, based on boundaries we previously set. I've addressed it with the appropriate staff."