Will Dave Aranda Be Fired? Baylor President Explains Decision for 2026 CFB HC Job
Dave Aranda will be returning for a seventh season as Baylor's football coach.
School president Linda Livingstone announced the university decided to bring back Aranda for the 2026 season after a "comprehensive review" of the football program.
Aranda led Baylor to three bowl games in his first five seasons with the program, but the Bears are at risk of missing out this winter after falling to 5-5 with last Saturday's loss to No. 12 Utah.
Baylor hired Aranda in 2020 after he worked as defensive coordinator with LSU's national championship team in 2019.
Aranda went on to lead the Bears to the winningest season in program history, a 12-2 campaign that included victories in the Big 12 Championship Game and Sugar Bowl.
The Bears haven't been able to achieve the same level of success since then, however. After two losing seasons in 2022 and 2023, the Bears improved to 8-5 with a Texas Bowl loss in 2024 only to struggle again in 2025.
Livingstone said in the statement Baylor leadership recognized the decision to retain Aranda would "generate strong opinions."
"Let me be clear: Baylor expects excellence, accountability and competitiveness at the highest level," Livingstone wrote. "We are not complacent, and we are not settling for mediocrity... while we celebrate the Big 12 Championship and Sugar Bowl victory in 2021, we know this season has not met our shared expectations."
Livingstone also wrote that "our team respects and loves playing for Coach Aranda," and that the coach "aligns with Baylor's Christian mission."
The statement went on to say the decision to keep Aranda with the program hinged on wanting stability for Baylor's next athletic director and keeping the Bears' 2026 recruiting class in place while avoiding "significant buyout costs" by moving on from Aranda's contract.
Aranda is making $4.7 million this year on a contract set to run through 2029, per USA Today. His buyout amount isn't publicly available, but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Mac Engel previously estimated it to be in the range of $12 million.
The news comes one day after athletic director Mack Rhoades abruptly parted ways with both Baylor and his former position as College Football Playoff selection committee chair.
Rhoades had been on leave for what the school initially described as "personal reasons" as of Nov. 12.
His departure comes after Baylor said in a statement shared Nov. 7 the school had investigated and taken "appropriate actions" regarding an incident involving Rhoades.
A Baylor spokesperson told The Dallas Morning News Rhoades' departure was "unrelated" to that occurrence, but that the school was conducting a separate investigation into a separate incident.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the Baylor spokesperson said the new allegations "do not involve Title IX violations, NCAA rule violations, student welfare or the football program."
Whoever is hired as Baylor's next athletic director could ultimately have a say in how long Aranda remains with the program going forward.
