Baylor Fires Head Football Coach Dave Aranda Mid-Season After Kansas Loss
What happened
Baylor University dismissed head football coach Dave Aranda on October 25, 2026, following a 25-24 home loss to Kansas that dropped the team to 4-3.
The Context
* The peak faded fast: Aranda led Baylor to a 12-2 record, a Big 12 title, and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2021, but managed only one winning season in the four years that followed. * A fast collapse: After opening the 2026 campaign 4-1, consecutive losses to TCU and Kansas—punctuated by a blown fourth-quarter lead—prompted athletic director Doug McNamee to act immediately. * The interim handover: Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman takes over leadership duties for the remaining five games, making Baylor the third Power conference program to replace its head coach this season.
The Number
— Aranda’s career record across seven seasons in Waco underscores that sustained equilibrium around a .500 mark is insufficient retention currency in modernized, competitive sports management.
Takeaway
Expect Baylor to run an aggressive, parallel hiring process while Klanderman manages the final stretch of the season under intense evaluation.
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