Baylor has moved on from Dave Aranda after seven seasons, ending a tenure that produced one high-water mark but too much inconsistency to survive in the NIL era.
The program announced Sunday that Aranda was out, with defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman stepping in as interim coach. Aranda leaves Waco with a 40-40 record overall and a 26-32 mark in Big 12 play.
For a moment, it looked like Baylor had found its coach. Aranda arrived with a national title-winning résumé from LSU and quickly delivered the best season in school history. The Bears won the 2021 Big 12 title, beat Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl and finished in the AP Top 5 for the first time ever.
But that peak never turned into lasting momentum. Baylor dropped back to a losing record the next season, then slid to 3-9 two years later. Across six full seasons, the Bears finished with four losing records and never put together back-to-back winning campaigns.
“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,” Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee said in a statement. “He is a gifted coach and 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.”
Baylor’s difficulties during the player compensation era also hurt its ability to recruit, and Aranda never found much stability on his staff. Over his time in Waco, he went through six coordinators and even took over defensive playcalling himself at one point.
The recent stretch sealed it. After some early promise with first-year quarterback DJ Lagway, Baylor lost 17-6 at home to TCU on Oct.
- A week later, the Bears saw a 14-game winning streak against Kansas end in a 25-24 loss after a blocked field goal late in regulation.
Now McNamee, in his first year as athletic director, gets his first major coaching hire. Coming from the private sector, he has plenty of directions to consider.
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Baylor has moved into a new era after parting ways with Dave Aranda following a loss in the 2026 season, ending a seven-season run that left him with a 40-40 record. The university wasted little time in making the change, with defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman stepping in as interim head coach while the search begins for the programs next leader.
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