Baylor fires Dave Aranda following 25-24 defeat to Kansas
Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will take over on an interim basis, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Baylor has fired head coach Dave Aranda after a 25-24 loss to Kansas in Week 8, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported. Aranda leaves with a 40-40 record across seven seasons, with his team having lost consecutive games against TCU and Kansas.
Thamel reported that Joe Klanderman, Baylor's defensive coordinator, will serve as interim coach. Klanderman joined Baylor this season after working at Kansas State. The Bears' next game is away against the UCF Golden Knights.
Appointed in 2020, Aranda led Baylor to a 12-2 finish and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2021. Baylor recorded only one winning season after that campaign: an 8-5 finish in 2024. The Bears ended 2025 at 5-7 and have been slipping down the Big 12 Conference standings.
Baylor was the first head-coaching position for Aranda, who previously worked as an assistant at LSU. His contract ran through the 2029 season.
