Baylor HC Dave Aranda Enters 2026 Season on Hottest of Hot Seats
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In Dave Aranda's six years at Baylor, the Bears have had four losing seasons. There was a 12-2 season mixed in there, in 2021, which provided Waco with a lot of hope for what was going to come under Aranda.
However, there have been big expectations with little results. The 2025 season was another reminder of that.
Entering 2025, Baylor returned veteran playmakers, along with quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who some analysts thought could contend for the Heisman if Baylor won games. But, instead, Robertson was among the nation's top passers, and the Bears went a meager 5-7.
Many thought Aranda would lose his job after another disappointing season, but athletic director Mack Rhoades was caught in the flames, and he exited Waco. That allowed for Aranda to get another season.
Entering 2026, it's win or go home time.
Aranda is one of three coaches on the hottest of hot seats
CBS Sports came out with its annual hot seat rankings. This time around, there are three head coaches with a 5.0 meter, the highest you can get, which means you either win in 2026 or you're fired. Aranda made the list, along with Florida State's Mike Norvell and Wisconsin's Luke Fickell.
In an exclusive interview with national writer Shehan Jeyarajah, he hit on what Aranda needs to prove this season in order to coach in 2027.
"Not only is this Aranda’s last chance, most would argue that he was very fortunate to get this one," Jeyarajah told Baylor Bears on SI. "If not for an athletic director change in 2025, Baylor likely would have already made a coaching change.
"There isn’t a magic number that Baylor needs to hit. Instead, it will be defined by the simple question of momentum. Can Baylor prove that the program is heading in the right direction? And furthermore, can the Bears show reasons for optimism heading into 2027 and beyond? It’s a tough ask."
Can DJ Lagway salvage Aranda's future?
You need a quarterback in Jake Spavital's offense and while Baylor put its NIL money aside for the trenches, the Bears went out and spent on a quarterback. After Robertson was second in the nation in passing yards per game, Baylor went out and landed the big fish.
DJ Lagway comes to Waco after spending two seasons at Florida, filled with a disappointing 2025 season. But Lagway was a five-star prospect for a reason, and the Bears added some talented weapons in hopes of allowing him to live up to his full potential.
The Baylor defense will also need to be improved. The addition of Joe Klanderman as the defensive coordinator was a good start, but the Bears are going to go as far as Lagway takes them.
For Aranda, his hope rests on the arm of Lagway and that he made the right decisions this offseason, including taking a general manager role with the team, allowing Klanderman to run the defense. If Baylor can get back to winning football games, and showing hope for the future, Aranda should be back on the sidelines in 2027.
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Trent is the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI and also serves as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines on SI. His work has additionally been featured on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
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