Baylor Fires Head Football Coach Dave Aranda Following Loss to Kansas

Baylor University has relieved head football coach Dave Aranda of his duties following a 25-24 loss to Kansas, the athletic department announced Sunday. The decision comes after the Bears suffered a fourth-quarter collapse, surrendering an 11-point lead and losing on a blocked 45-yard field goal attempt with just 22 seconds remaining. The defeat dropped Baylor to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 conference.

Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Doug McNamee praised Aranda's character in a statement released by the university. McNamee stated that while Aranda is a genuine and honorable person who deeply cares for his players and staff, leadership believed a change was necessary at this point in the program. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will take over as interim head coach for the remainder of the regular season.

Aranda concludes his tenure in Waco with a 40-40 overall record after being hired ahead of the 2020 season. He arrived at Baylor following a four-year stint as the defensive coordinator at LSU, where he won a national championship in 2019. In just his second season with the Bears, Aranda orchestrated a historic turnaround, leading the team to a 12-2 record in 2021, a Big 12 championship, and a Sugar Bowl victory, which stands as the most single-season wins in school history.

Despite the high point of the 2021 campaign, the program struggled to maintain that level of success in subsequent years. The Bears finished 6-7 and 3-9 over the next two seasons, followed by an 8-5 record in 2024 and a 5-7 finish last year. Despite last season's losing record, university president Linda Livingstone retained Aranda, citing financial stewardship and stability during an athletic director transition.

The recent loss to Kansas snapped a 14-game winning streak for Baylor in the series and marked the Jayhawks' first victory over the Bears since 2007. It followed a 17-6 home defeat against rival TCU two weeks prior, compounding offensive struggles that Aranda had taken responsibility for earlier in the week, pointing to difficulties with protection and run blocking.

Klanderman enters his first season at Baylor after spending the previous seven seasons at Kansas State as a safeties coach and defensive coordinator. He inherits a defense that ranks second in the Big 12, allowing 301.6 total yards per game. Klanderman has never previously served as a head coach and will audition for the permanent position during the final five games of the regular season.

The timing of Aranda's departure makes Baylor the third Football Bowl Subdivision program to change head coaches during the season, following Maryland's decision to cut ties with Mike Locksley and NC State's firing of Dave Doeren. The Bears will travel to face UCF on Friday, needing at least two wins in their remaining five games against UCF, Iowa State, BYU, Texas Tech, and Houston to become bowl-eligible.