The Baylor Bears have moved on from head coach Dave Aranda after losing to Kansas 25-24 on the road Saturday in what was their second straight loss and third defeat of the season.
Aranda was in the midst of his seventh season in charge of the Bears after taking over the head coaching gig in Waco, Texas, ahead of the 2020 season. After going 2-7 in his first season, one plagued by COVID, he led Baylor to a 12-2 campaign in 2021 that included a Sugar Bowl victory over a 10-win Ole Miss team. Baylor finished as the No. 5 team in the country in the final AP Top 25 Poll that season.
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Baylor officially announced the news of Aranda’s departure on Sunday afternoon.
Dave Aranda Head Coach of the Baylor Bears adjusts his headset on the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks on October 24, 2026 at the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Hanna Kotlarek/Baylor Athletics/University Images via Getty Images) (Hanna Kotlarek/Baylor Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
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“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 Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Doug McNamee, wrote 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.”
Head Coach Dave Aranda high fives offensive lineman Lawson Petty #76 during the game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on September 19, 2026 at the McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Will Mallory/Baylor Athletics/University Images via Getty Images) (Will Mallory/Baylor Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
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While it’s safe to say Aranda would have liked to have kept his job, in today’s college football, the majority of coaches who are fired are subject to a hefty buyout, and that appears to be the case for the 50-year-old.
Aranda inked a contract extension in 2022 that ran through the end of the 2029 season. Now, his firing triggers a buyout package of around $12 million, according to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger.
It literally pays to be fired as the head coach in college football, especially at a Power Four program such as Baylor.
Head coach Dave Aranda of the Baylor Bears reacts against the Auburn Tigers during a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
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Baylor began the 2026 campaign with a 17-16 loss to Auburn in Atlanta before rattling off four straight wins, but after consecutive losses to TCU at home and Kansas on the road, the Bears’ administration appears to have seen enough. Baylor’s three losses this season have come by a combined 13 points.
Baylor defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will be taking over as interim coach at Baylor.
Aranda is now the third Power Four coach to be fired during the current college football season. Maryland fired head coach Mike Locksley earlier in the week, while NC State parted ways with Dave Doeren following the Wolfpack’s loss to Stanford on October 23.
Aranda finishes his time at Baylor with a 40-40 overall record as head coach.