Dave Aranda Done In Waco: Baylor Reportedly Fires Head Coach Amid 7th Season

The Dave Aranda era at Baylor is over. Baylor has fired the head coach in the middle of his seventh season, according to multiple reports. The decision to let Aranda go came a day after Baylor blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead to Kansas in a 25-24 loss, dropping the Bears to 4-3 on the season. While Baylor still has a winning record, the Bears are only 2-3 against Power Conference opponents this season. The tough part of Baylor’s schedule is still ahead, too. It has matchups against UCF, BYU, Texas Tech and Houston in the coming weeks. Aranda’s tenure at Baylor got off to a promising start. Following a 2-7 record in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Aranda led Baylor to a 12-2 mark and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2021. Baylor wasn’t close to reaching those heights again in Aranda’s tenure, though. Baylor was bowl-eligible only twice in the past four seasons, posting a 5-7 record in 2025. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will reportedly serve as the interim head coach for Baylor. Baylor is now the third Power Conference school to fire its head coach this season. Maryland fired Mike Locksley last week, and NC State fired Dave Doeren on Saturday.