Baylor University has fired head football coach Dave Aranda following a 25-24 road loss to Kansas on Saturday, the school announced Sunday afternoon. The defeat was Baylor’s second straight and third of the season.
Aranda took over the Bears program in Waco ahead of the 2020 season. His debut year, shortened and disrupted by COVID-19, ended 2-7. The following season he led Baylor to a 12-2 record, capped by a Sugar Bowl win over a 10-win Ole Miss team, and the Bears finished that year ranked No. 5 in the final AP Top 25 Poll.
Baylor Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Doug McNamee announced the move in a statement.
“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,” McNamee wrote. “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.”
Aranda, 50, signed a contract extension in 2022 that was set to run through the 2029 season. According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, his firing now triggers a buyout of roughly $12 million — a reminder that in major college football, dismissed coaches often walk away with substantial payouts regardless of performance.
Baylor opened this season with a 17-16 loss to Auburn in Atlanta, then won four straight games before dropping back-to-back contests to TCU at home and Kansas on the road. The three losses this season came by a combined 13 points, but Baylor’s administration decided a leadership change was necessary.
Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Aranda is the third Power Four head coach fired this college football season, following Maryland’s dismissal of Mike Locksley earlier in the week and NC State’s parting with Dave Doeren after an October 23 loss to Stanford.
Aranda leaves Baylor with an overall record of 40-40.
