Baylor interim coach Jim Grobe will take the field for the last time when the Bears play in a postseason bowl, completing a roller-coaster season for the Bears marred by fallout from a sexual assault scandal.

After being ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll, the Bears have lost five consecutive games, losing by an average of 20.4 points. Likely headed for a sixth straight loss Saturday at West Virginia, Baylor could have easily called it quits on the season and begun its coaching search early but several seniors told school officials they wanted to play in a bowl game this season.

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"Our intent, at this time, is to accept a bowl bid for our student-athletes who have worked so hard to earn it over the course of this season," Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said Monday in a statement provided to ESPN. "Our focus, as it has been throughout the season, is on our student-athletes and trying to finish strong against a great West Virginia team this weekend in Morgantown."

Despite the negative season, the current Baylor players deserve to be rewarded with a bowl despite being hurt the most from the school's constant turmoil.

"I'm very, very proud of our players who have remained loyal to Baylor. They've given me 100-plus reasons for hope in these difficult times," Grobe said in his weekly news conference.

Baylor officials had previously stated that 17 women reported 19 sexual or physical assaults involving football players since 2011, including four gang rapes. Last Tuesday, two women who accused Baylor football players of gang-raping them in 2012 reached a financial settlement with the school.

The new coach taking over for Grobe will not only have to deal with continued aftermath from the scandal but also with creating a staff and recruiting players that want to play for a scrutinized program.

After three-star prospect Noah Daniels decommitted Sunday, Baylor’s only commitment for next season is three-star safety Jalen Pitre.

But someone has to take the job and according to 247Sports, Baylor's top coaching targets include North Carolina’s Larry Fedora, Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre, Tulsa’s Philip Montgomery and Cal’s Sonny Dykes.