Baylor is sticking with Dave Aranda for another season.
BU athletic director Mack Rhoades confirmed to multiple outlets that he has decided to retain Aranda despite the Bears enduring a brutal 2023 season.
Baylor went 12-2 and won the Big 12 championship in 2021 but has struggled mightily over the past two seasons. Baylor finished the 2022 season with a 6-7 record, closing out the season with a four-game losing streak. Things got worse in 2023. Following Saturday’s loss at home to West Virginia, Baylor finished the season with a 3-9 record. The loss was also the Bears’ ninth consecutive loss vs. FBS competition at home.
The 34-31 loss to West Virginia on Saturday was emblematic of the entire season. Baylor had a late lead but missed a field goal at the 1:14 mark that would have made it a seven-point game. Immediately after the miss, WVU drove 80 yards in six plays and scored the game-winning touchdown with 23 seconds left in regulation.
The season got off to a miserable 2-4 start that included a 42-31 home loss to Texas State and blowout losses to both Texas and Texas Tech. The Bears had an incredible come-from-behind win over UCF on Sept. 30 and later improved to 2-2 in Big 12 play by beating Cincinnati on the road. Since then, Baylor hasn’t won a game and closed out the year with five consecutive losses.
Despite the stark downturn from 2021’s Big 12 title, Aranda will get a chance to turn things around. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who first reported the news, major changes are coming to the program.
Sources: Baylor’s Dave Aranda will return to coach the Bears in 2024. He’s 9-16 since winning the Big 12 title, Sugar Bowl and Baylor’s first-ever 12-win season in 2021. Aranda’s return will come with significant changes on and off the field, as there’s expected to be staff…
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 26, 2023
Overall, Aranda has a 23-24 (15-20 Big 12) record during his four seasons in Waco. Aranda made his name in the coaching world by emerging as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football.
It will be Aranda’s job to guide the Bears into the new-look Big 12 next season.