Dave Aranda fired as Baylor head coach

Baylor has fired head coach Dave Aranda following Saturday’s loss to Kansas, On3’s Pete Nakos has learned. The Bears fell to 4-3 following a 25-24 loss to the Jayhawks and Aranda will not finish his 7th season with the school.

“Anyone who knows Dave Aranda understands what a genuine and honorable person he is and how much he deeply cares for his players, staff and this University,” AD Doug McNamee later said in a statement. “He is a gifted coach and a brilliant football mind whose leadership brought some of our best Baylor football memories. While this is a difficult moment, we believe a change in leadership is necessary at this time for our program. We will forever be thankful to Dave and his family for their time here at Baylor, and we wish them well.”

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Coming over from LSU, where he served as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator, Aranda didn’t wait too long to make an impact on the program. After a 2-7 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Aranda and Baylor went 12-2 in 2021 and won the Big 12. The Bears finished No. 5 in the final AP Poll that season.

However, the head coach could not reach those heights again with the program. Baylor went 6-7 and 3-9 the next two seasons, bringing Aranda’s job security into question. The team turned it around in 2024, going 8-5 and making the Texas Bowl.

However, 2025 proved pivotal as they went 5-7, leading to Aranda’s make-or-break 2026. Seemingly, he was on thin ice going into Saturday. A back and forth affair, Baylor QB DJ Lagway got the team in position to win the game as Rhett Armstrong attempted a 45-yard field goal.

However, the kick was blocked and instead of the Bears being 5-2 and one win away from postseason eligibility, they fell to 4-3 and the administration had enough. Aranda will leave Baylor after 80 games, going 40-40 during his time in Waco.

“I think as the game went on, I think we got tired,” Aranda said after losing to Kanas Saturday. “I think the guys were fighting … They are a team of gadgets and kind of a collection of the hardest plays to defend. That’s their deal. And so it’s very much a taxing offense … Coming into the game, they led the Big 12 in explosive plays. And every game, you get a new collection.”

Aranda, 50, began coaching in 1995 with Redlands HS in California. He’s coached at Cal Lutheran, Texas Tech, Houton, Delta State, Hawaii, Utah State, Wisconsin and LSU before landing the first head coaching gig of his career at Baylor. What’s to come for Aranda remains to be seen as he’ll transition to new a job in 2027.

Baylor will move forward with Joe Klanderman as the interim head coach with five games remaining this regular season. The Bears are back in action on Friday as they hit the road to play UCF, which just knocked off No. 2 BYU in OT.