Baylor has a chance to reset its football future after Dave Aranda’s dismissal on Sunday, but the next hire has to be the right one. With DJ Lagway potentially in line for his final college season in 2027, this isn’t the time to play it safe or recycle the same approach.
Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will handle the final five games as interim head coach, and there’s a clear case for why he belongs in the conversation. His first season in Waco has already changed the look of Baylor’s defense.
When Klanderman arrived from Kansas State in December, he inherited a unit that had ranked second-to-last in the Big 12 in points allowed at 32.6 per game. Since then, Baylor’s defense has become the program’s best since the 2021 conference championship season. The turnaround showed up right away, with the Bears holding each of their first six opponents to 20 points or fewer.
Still, Baylor would be better off resisting the urge to stay in-house. Klanderman is a defensive coach with no previous head coaching experience, and that alone makes this a familiar path the Bears have already walked. Aranda came in with the same kind of résumé in 2020, and Baylor now has another opening to choose a different direction.
That different direction should be offensive.
Baylor hasn’t hired a permanent head coach with an offensive background since Art Briles in 2008. Since then, its permanent hires - Matt Rhule and Aranda - came from the defensive side, while Jim Grobe was only an interim in 2016. The Bears now have a rare chance to try a different blueprint, and they should take it.
The reason is sitting right on the roster.
Lagway came to Baylor from Florida as a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top prospects in the 2024 class. The hype around him is real, and in Waco it’s been unlike anything since Jarrett Stidham in 2015. He has the arm strength, mobility and playmaking ability to give the Bears a real foundation.
But Baylor hasn’t fully cashed in on that talent. Inconsistent offensive line play and a rushing attack that hasn’t been reliable have kept the offense from getting where it needs to go, especially against quality defenses.
An offensive head coach wouldn’t instantly fix every issue, but Baylor needs someone with a proven record of developing quarterbacks and building an offense that brings out Lagway’s best traits. That matters not just for production, but for keeping him in Waco.
Lagway has eligibility remaining in 2027, but Baylor can’t assume he’ll be back. There’s no sign he plans to transfer, but the chance to play for a coach whose system fits him could matter. For a program that doesn’t often land quarterbacks with this kind of pedigree, losing him before his final season would sting.
There are several external names worth watching. Texas State’s G.J. Kinne, New Mexico’s Jason Eck and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor have all been identified as possible options.
Kinne may be the cleanest offensive fit for a team that wants to build around Lagway. He played quarterback at Tulsa and has earned a reputation for high-scoring offenses at Incarnate Word and Texas State.
At Texas State, his teams ranked among the nation’s top 15 in scoring offense in each of his first three seasons. He also brings Texas recruiting connections and has already beaten Baylor, leading Texas State to a 42-31 upset in his debut as Bobcats head coach in 2023.
Eck has built his own case. He turned Idaho into an FCS playoff contender before leading New Mexico to nine wins in his first season in 2025.
His background also includes three seasons as South Dakota State’s offensive coordinator, where the Jackrabbits averaged 37.5 points per game in 2021. That mix of offensive experience and program-building makes him a real name to watch.
Traylor is a different kind of candidate, but he checks important boxes. He has deep Texas recruiting ties and a strong run at UTSA, including Conference USA titles in 2021 and 2022. He’s not known first as an offensive innovator, but his track record of building a program would keep him firmly in the mix.
Baylor doesn’t need to make its coaching search about one player alone. But Lagway changes the scale of the decision. The Bears have a chance to build around the best quarterback talent they’ve brought to Waco in years, and the next coach should be the one who gives them the best shot to make the most of it.
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Baylors Coaching Search Just Got Tied To A Stunning USC Name
Baylors coaching search is already drawing attention beyond Waco, especially with openings piling up around the country and the Bears now part of a wider carousel that also includes NC State. The combination of a disappointing season and a vacant job naturally invites speculation, and one of the biggest names suddenly linked to the discussion is USC coach Lincoln Riley, whose profile makes him impossible to ignore.
Rileys situation at USC has grown more complicated after recent losses, and multiple sources have described his future there as uncertain. A move would not be simple, given the size of his contract, but the mere possibility of Baylor entering the conversation changes the tone of the search and gives this opening a far bigger spotlight than many expected. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor WBB Showed One Encouraging Sign Fans Will Notice Fast
Baylors exhibition win over West Texas A&M offered the kind of early October look that can make a fan base feel a little better about what comes next. The Bears rolled to a 96-56 victory at the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, and the most eye-catching part was how often they turned defense into offense. Baylor forced 30 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 37 points, a sharp sign that the pressure and pace were already creating problems for an opponent.
The depth was encouraging, too, with six Baylor players finishing in double figures in a game that never felt especially close. Exhibition results do come with the usual caveats, but this was still the sort of performance that can travel into the regular season if the Bears can keep the same energy and ball pressure. Their official opener arrives Nov. 2 against FDU, giving them a little time to build on a start that clearly showed a few things clicking early. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor's Next Coaching Hire Carries A Standard Fans Can't Ignore
Baylors football program is back in the market for a new leader after athletic director Doug McNamee announced the dismissal of Dave Aranda following the loss to Kansas. Aranda leaves Waco with an even 40-40 record, a mark that captures both the promise and the frustration of a tenure that never fully settled into the kind of week-to-week consistency the program wanted.
Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman has been elevated to interim head coach for the rest of the season, while McNamee begins the search for a permanent replacement. The standard is clear: Baylor wants a coach who can turn the program into a steadier winner, and the next hire will be judged against that expectation from the start. [Read more 🡒]