Baylor University announced on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, that it has parted ways with head football coach Dave Aranda, making the Bears the third Power 4 program to change coaches in the 2026 college football carousel.
Aranda, a celebrated defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and LSU, arrived at Baylor before the 2020 season. He led the Bears to a 12-2 record in 2021, including a Sugar Bowl victory and a top-five finish in the AP Poll. However, the program posted sub-.500 records both overall and in Big 12 play for the remainder of his tenure.
Interim head coach Jon Klanderman, also the first-year defensive coordinator, debuted with a 41-9 win over UCF in Week 9.
Among the early candidates to replace Aranda is UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor, who holds a 58-27 overall record since taking over in 2020, with a 37-12 conference mark across Conference USA and the American Athletic Conference. Traylor's Roadrunners are off to a 5-1 start this season.
