Baylor University fired head football coach Dave Aranda on Sunday, terminating his tenure midway through his seventh season in Waco after a heartbreaking defeat against Kansas.
Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will assume duties as the interim head coach for the rest of the campaign, the university announced. Klanderman, whom Aranda hired away from Kansas State ahead of this season to handle defensive play-calling, takes control as Baylor prepares for a Friday road matchup against UCF.
A swift fall after early glory
Aranda departs Baylor with an even 40-40 overall record. After taking the job in 2020 following a stint as Louisiana State University’s defensive coordinator, he led the Bears to a 12-2 record, a Big 12 championship and a Sugar Bowl victory over Mississippi in 2021.
However, sustaining that momentum proved difficult. Baylor posted just one winning season after the 2021 championship run, going 8-5 in 2024, the Houston Chronicle reported. Entering the 2026 season under pressure to deliver results under athletic director Doug McNamee, who took over the athletic department in December, Aranda revamped his roster by bringing in transfer quarterback DJ Lagway from Florida.
Baylor opened this season with a 4-1 start despite an early heartbreak against Auburn, where a potential game-winning two-point conversion stopped inches short of the goal line. But back-to-back defeats quickly unraveled that promising beginning.
The final blow in Lawrence
The decision to make a coaching change arrived hours after Baylor suffered a 25-24 loss at Kansas on Saturday. The Bears carried a 21-10 advantage into the fourth quarter before surrendering the lead to the Jayhawks.
Baylor engineered a final drive down to the Jayhawks’ 27-yard line, putting the team in position for a potential game-winning 45-yard field goal. Kansas defensive lineman Blake Herold blocked the attempt in the closing seconds, handing Kansas its first victory over Baylor since 2007 and ending a 14-game losing streak against the Bears.
The loss dropped Baylor to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 play.
‘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,’ 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.’
The coaching change marks the third major dismissal in college football in recent days, following the departures of Mike Locksley at Maryland and Dave Doeren at North Carolina State, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Baylor now begins an early search for its next permanent leader while navigating a demanding remaining schedule. Following Friday’s game at UCF, the Bears close out the season with matchups against BYU, Texas Tech and Houston.
