Baylor writer calls for Dave Aranda to join college football growing list of free agents

The calls for change around Baylor football grew louder this week as longtime Texas football columnist Mike Craven wrote the Dave Aranda era “has run its course” in Waco, arguing the university should move on from the sixth-year head coach after another disappointing loss against Cincinnati, a team that joined the Big 12 less than two seasons ago. 

Aranda's tenure features six seasons of high expectations, hard lessons, and one signature triumph: a 2021 Big 12 championship and Sugar Bowl victory. Was that enough to keep the Baylor Bears on the Dave Aranda train? 

Dave Campbell's Texas Football analyst Mike Craven says Aranda's time is dwindling

Aranda, 49, hoists a record of 23-25, having led the Bears to their winningest season in program history, but also through two straight sub-.500 campaigns that left fans and the administration wondering what might have been.

Aranda arrived in Waco ahead of the 2020 season, following a national championship run as LSU’s defensive coordinator. His first year at Baylor was marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, yielding a 2-7 record. His second season delivered a school-record 12 wins, a conference championship and Sugar Bowl triumph, briefly elevating Baylor into the national spotlight. That provided hope for Aranda and Co. 

Aranda is an excellent defensive strategist who returned to play-calling duties this season while overseeing the youngest roster in the Big 12. Baylor leaned heavily on the transfer portal and a revamped coaching staff in a bid to reverse recent struggles, with new additions including offensive coordinator Jake Spavital and standout players like quarterback Dequan Finn.

Aranda and the Bears embraced the Name, Image, and Likeness era with a bold approach, radically shifting the program’s strategy in 2024 after the Bears lagged behind their Big 12 peers in NIL investment. At Big 12 Media Days in 2024, Aranda acknowledged Baylor’s new reality. “We pay players."

It was a dramatic shift for the University. The Bears, once reluctant to fully embrace NIL opportunities, launched the GXG collective and the GXG Elite membership program to connect fans with athletes through merchandise, experiences, and direct compensation. Baylor’s NIL budget surged to $15 million as the athletic department prioritized player retention and transfer recruiting, resulting in the addition of 24 new transfers to the football roster. 

Craven, writing for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, noted Baylor’s 41-20 defeat to Cincinnati dropped the Bears to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12. He described Aranda’s overall record – now 35-34, including just 23-27 in conference action – as overshadowed by the solitary 2021 Big 12 championship season, which was achieved mostly with players recruited by former coach Matt Rhule.

He argued the program “gave [Aranda] every opportunity, and it simply didn’t work,” suggesting optimism has faded after a failed offensive coordinator hire and key departures expected after the season. Craven’s column recognized Aranda’s strong reputation as a defensive coordinator and his likely future in that role elsewhere, but declared that retaining him would only be “for financial reasons." To quote Craven, “scared money doesn’t make money.”

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