Baylor fires Dave Aranda after six seasons

Baylor University moved on from head coach Dave Aranda on Sunday, Oct. 25. The decision made the Bears the third Power 4 program to change its coaching staff this fall. Aranda has been the head coach at Baylor since the start of the 2020 season. He is a former defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and LSU.

Aranda finished with a 12-2 record in 2021. That season included a victory in the Sugar Bowl and a top-5 finish in the AP Poll. Since 2021, the Bears have finished below a .500 winning percentage in every season. They also finished below .500 in Big 12 Conference play during those years.

The Bears played their first game under interim head coach Jon Klanderman in Week 9. They defeated UCF 41-9. The victory provided a positive note as the search for a permanent leader begins.

Tim Watkins of Bears Illustrated, a 247Sports affiliate, has identified several candidates for the job. One prominent name is Jeff Traylor. Traylor has served as the head coach at UTSA since 2020. He holds an overall record of 58-27 at the school.

Traylor has a conference record of 37-12. That total spans his time in Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners are currently 5-1 this season. That start has increased his standing as a candidate.

Watkins noted that Traylor possesses specific advantages for the position. He described Traylor as having the "coved Texas Ties" that many programs value. Watkins said Traylor won games with different quarterbacks. He relied on Frank Harris for an initial period of success and later built another team capable of winning a conference title.

Watkins also pointed to Traylor's ability to hire staff. He said Traylor has hired offensive and defensive coordinators who performed well enough to be recruited by other schools.

Bears Illustrated has listed other possibilities for the job. One candidate is a current head coach who has made multiple appearances in the College Football Playoff. The site did not name that candidate in the public preview.

The search follows a period of inconsistent results for the Bears. Aranda’s tenure is defined by a strong start in 2021 and a longer stretch of sub-.500 seasons. The administration will now evaluate candidates to replace him.

The next step involves narrowing the field of applicants. The university will consider both external hires and internal options. The interim staff will continue to lead the team until a decision is made.