Baylor's Dave Aranda Ranked Ahead of Deion Sanders, Luke Fickell in 2026 HC Rankings

Dave Aranda is entering a make or break season with Baylor football and, in 2026, he will have to show progress.

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Dave Aranda is entering a make-or-break season with Baylor. After an incredible 12-win season in 2021, the Bears have had just one winning season since. But what made matters worse is that Baylor was expected to compete for a Big 12 title in 2025.

But as fans know, the Bears went 5-7 and Aranda has been squarely on the hot seat. Aranda has proven he can coach, some still believe he is a top mind in college football, but he has to prove it in 2026 if he is going to stay the head coach in Waco.

Recently, CBS Sports ranked every head coach in college football entering the 2026 season, and Aranda might've been higher than some thought. Entering his seventh season, Aranda was ranked No. 47 in the nation, nine spots lower than he was at entering 2025 — ranked No. 38.

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"Ranking coaches in the middle of the Big 12 is tough because the league can be so volatile...Like many coaches in this range of the rankings, Aranda isn't on solid footing and needs a successful season to ensure we're still ranking him next year," wrote CBS Sports.

Aranda is just behind Auburn's Alex Golesh and Oklahoma State's Eric Morris. But Aranda is ahead of some notable names. Baylor's head man is ranked higher than Wisconsin's Luke Fickell, Ole Miss' Pete Golding, WVU's Rich Rodriguez, and Colorado's Coach Prime, among others.

Aranda leaning on self-scouting to propel Baylor in 2026

It's never easy to admit your mistakes, but that's what Aranda did this offseason. Gaining another chance to coach Baylor, Aranda opted to let go of calling the defense. Instead, he hired Joe Klanderman from Kansas State, who comes in and will run the defense.

Baylor also added a plethora of players from the transfer portal. Most notably, DJ Lagway from Florida. After Sawyer Robertson graduated, the Bears needed a gunslinger for Jake Spavital's offense. Baylor made Lagway feel wanted, and he returns home — as a legacy — and will look to return to his five-star form.

Dave Aranda and DJ Lagway sit together at a Baylor men's basketball game! | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

If the Bears can get back to their winning ways defensively and stop the run, it would allow the offense to not feel like they need to be so perfect. Add in Lagway returning to form and Baylor could once again become a darkhorse threat to win the Big 12 Conference — especially after the Texas Tech fiasco.

Week 1 will be telling of Aranda's program when Baylor takes on Auburn in Atlanta. If the Bears can beat the Tigers, it would signal a positive sign for Aranda's 2026 future.