Baylor coach Dave Aranda reveals surprising assessment of the current state of college football

The current state of college football and collegiate athletics as a whole has been widely discussed over the past year, and the NCAA has undoubtedly received a lot of criticism. But Baylor head football coach Dave Aranda has an interesting and different view on where things currently stand.

Right now, the NCAA is tasked with finding ways to move forward while improving the sport and experience as a whole while at the same time battling through issues stemming from NIL and the transfer portal.

When asked about the state of college athletics, most coaches quickly point to the issues that are ongoing and the problems that have been created within the NCAA. But when Peter Burns asked Aranda about these issues on The Paul Finebaum Show, the Baylor coach said that he actually views the current landscape as a giant opportunity for growth for coaches.

“I think it’s good,” Aranda said. “It’s changing for sure. I think the coach that in the past that would take out his frustrations on players, that would take out his anxieties on other coaches, or take out his insecurities on players and then later call that coaching, I think that coach is probably struggling. We’ve all been around them and we’ve all probably been coached by them. I just think there’s an opportunity for that coach to grow and to really kind of transcend, man.”

Aranda wants coaches to have an ‘open mind’ at Baylor, everywhere else

In 2020, Aranda began his tenure as Baylor’s head coach and the Bears struggled to a 2-7 overall record. But in 2021, the Bears saw a massive turnaround. Aranda led Baylor to a 12-2 victory last season, leading his team to a victory in the Sugar Bowl.

Instead of heading elsewhere during this off-season’s coaching carousel, Aranda decided to stick at Baylor. Now, he is looking to be leading voice as the NCAA undergoes major changes. Ultimately, he believes that the shift in the mindset of coaches will be a positive thing moving forward.

“I think that’s a good thing, but there’s two kinds of difficult,” added Aranda. “There’s getting out of your comfort zone and what comes of it when you stay in your comfort zone. I think the ability for coaches to have an open mind and to not look at it and say, ‘I’ve got power over players,’ but ‘I’m working with my guys, I’m seeing them as people, I’m pouring into them as people.’ That better person is going to make a better player. I think that’s going to be a view.”