Dave Aranda Fired by Baylor, Latest Contract Buyout Info & Top HC Replacements After Loss to Kansas

Baylor's loss to Kansas on Saturday reportedly was the last straw for Dave Aranda's tenure as the program's head coach.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Sunday that Baylor fired Aranda during his seventh season at the helm. The Bears fell to 4-3 with Saturday's 25-24 defeat, which ended with the Jayhawks blocking a field goal in the final seconds and then kneeling it out.

Baylor defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will be the interim for the program that is also facing a hefty buyout:

Here is a look at some potential replacement candidates:

• Jason Eck, New Mexico HC
• Jeff Traylor, UTSA HC
• Neal Brown, North Texas HC
• Slade Nagle, Houston OC

Baylor is now left looking at replacements despite what was such a promising start to Aranda's time as the head coach.

While the Bears were just 2-7 during his first season in 2020, they made a massive leap in his second season by going 12-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl over Ole Miss. It seemed to be an announcement that Baylor would be a national factor under its new head coach.

However, things never returned to that level.

Baylor went a combined 22-28 the next four seasons and didn't finish with more than eight wins in any of those campaigns. 

There was renewed hope for the 2026 season when Aranda landed Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, but that optimism faded with a 17-16 loss to Auburn in the opener. Offense was also a major problem in a 17-6 loss to TCU. 

Full Baylor Bears - Kansas Jayhawks Highlights

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Lagway has completed just 52.1 percent of his passes, and the Bears are now in a position where they are largely playing out the string of the season following a 4-3 start. It would take a dramatic turnaround for them to be considered even a darkhorse challenger for the College Football Playoff.

As for the potential replacements, a focus on the state of Texas would make sense.

Baylor could offer North Texas head coach Neal Brown, UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and Houston offensive coordinator Slade Nagle an opportunity to take the next step in their careers while remaining in the state they are familiar with from a recruiting and playing standpoint.

Recruiting the state of Texas well would raise the ceiling for the Bears, especially since so many of their Big 12 rivals are in the state.

Jason Eck is also a rising coach who could find himself landing a number of offers this offseason as he continues to find success at New Mexico. Perhaps moving on from Aranda early will give Baylor an early start in the pursuit before other high-profile programs move on from their head coach.

For now, though, the Bears will turn their attention to Friday's game against UCF following a coaching change.