Baylor football fires Dave Aranda after 7 years as Bears coach
Zac Al-Khateeb, USA TODAYSun, October 25, 2026 at 3:55 PM UTC
Another college football team has made a coaching change.
According to a report from multiple reports, Baylor fired seventh-year Bears coach Dave Aranda on Sunday, Oct. 25. The university later confirmed the move, which comes after Baylor fell to 4-3 on the season with a 25-24 loss to Kansas on Oct. 24.
“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 athletics director Doug McNamee said in a statement. “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.”
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Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.
With that, Aranda finishes his Baylor tenure with a 40-40 record, which includes a 12-2 record in 2021 that included a Sugar Bowl win that season.
Here's what to know of Aranda's firing:
Why did Baylor fire Dave Aranda?
Baylor's firing of Aranda came amid a 4-3 start to the 2026 season, which itself came after a 5-7 campaign in 2025.
While Aranda has enjoyed some success during his time in Waco, it was too sparse: Four seasons saw the Bears suffer a losing record. Moreover, a quarter of Aranda's career wins came during the 12-2 season in 2021, and the Bears suffered an overall losing record in Big 12 play during his tenure.
Dave Aranda record at Baylor
Here's a look at Aranda's year-by-year record, including in Big 12 Conference play:
2020: 2-7 (2-7)
2021: 12-2 (7-2) (won Sugar Bowl)
2022: 6-7 (4-5) (lost Armed Forces Bowl)
2023: 3-9 (2-7)
2024: 8-5 (6-3) (lost Texas Bowl)
2025: 5-7 (3-6)
2026: 4-3 (2-2)
Overall: 40-40 (26-32)
Dave Aranda buyout at Baylor
Baylor, a private university, does not release contract information for its coaches. According to a report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Aranda's buyout is $12 million.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baylor football fires Dave Aranda after 7 years as Bears coach
Source: Sports
