Baylor's Dave Aranda expected to move on from OC Jeff Grimes, takes over defensive play-calling

Baylor will look different next season. On Sunday, Mike Kraven reported Baylor will be making significant changes to its coaching staff.

“Dave Aranda to take over play-calling on defense, replace Jeff Grimes with offensive coordinator with ‘head coaching experience and an explosive style,'” Kraven wrote on X, formally known as Twitter, “also to invest significantly in NIL moving forward.”

The Bears only averaged 23.1 points per game this season, the 95th-least in the country. For reference, Baylor averaged over 30 points in the first two seasons under Grimes. Moreover, the Bears averaged 31.6 points per game during the 12-win 2021 campaign that included a Big 12 championship.

Grimes joined Aranda’s staff in January 2021. A 29-year coaching veteran, Grimes excelled early in Waco, being named one of five assistant coaches up for the Frank Broyles Award, which honors the nation’s top assistant, in his first two seasons. Nonetheless, 2023 was a significant step back.

After falling 34-31 to West Virginia on Saturday, Baylor finished the 2023 campaign with a 3-9 record. The team also closed the season on a five-game losing streak. This year was Aranda’s fourth at the helm of the program. While under Aranda, the Bears are 23-25.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Baylor will retain Aranda, but wants to make significant changes to the program moving forward.

“Baylor’s Dave Aranda will return to coach the Bears in 2024,” Thamel wrote on X. “He’s 9-16 since winning the Big 12 title, Sugar Bowl and Baylor’s first-ever 12-win season in 2021. Aranda’s return will come with significant changes on and off the field, as there’s expected to be staff changes and an uptick in Baylor’s NIL investment.”

Baylor puts emphasis on NIL

Baylor has not found success with NIL. The program did not have a single player listed in On3’s top 100 college football players NIL valuations. Kraven reports the lucrative field will be a point of emphasis for Baylor looking ahead.

“Baylor is also investing heavily into the NIL landscape,” Kraven wrote. “The university is helping with fundraising and the Bears expect to become players in a space that Aranda wanted to avoid the last couple of cycles. Baylor is implementing an “aggressive gameplan moving forward” that represents a “dramatic shift” for the program. Baylor is also completing a $90 million player development center.

“The transfer portal opens Dec. 4 and the hope is that retaining Aranda, and the culture he’s instilled inside the locker room, keeps the roster together for a real run in 2024.”