'There is No Me Without Gerry': Dave Aranda Details Former QB's Departure
ARLINGTON -- It was strictly business for Dave Aranda this spring when he called Gerry Bohanon and Blake Shapen into his office. Baylor wanted to name its starting quarterback before the start of the offseason. Both made the case to earn the title of QB1.
Shapen, who filled for the injured Bohanon down the stretch, made one more throw. One more completion. One more touchdown. The job was his after the spring game.
"It just became apparent that Blake was our better passer," Arnada said Wednesday at Big 12 Media Days.
Moving off Bohanon wasn't a choice Aranda took lightly. It's not as if the junior passer wasn't making a compelling argument after helping the Bears make history in the second year of Aranda's tenure.
Bohanon started 11 regular season games. He went 9-2, picking up monumental wins over Texas, No. 19 BYU, and No. 8 Oklahoma. He was prepping for a shot at redemption after suffering a loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship.
Perhaps if he was the one playing in AT&T Stadium, Shapen is the one in the transfer portal. Instead, a hamstring injury against Kansas State forced him to sit in the season finale against Texas Tech. It also opened the door for the Louisiana native to make strides under center.
Shapen completed a Big 12 record 82.1 percent of his throws in a 21-16 win over the Cowboys. That victory gave Baylor its first Big 12 title since 2014. A month later, Bohanon was back commanding the huddle on the way to a 21-7 victory over No. 7 Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl and the program's first 12-win season.
Shapen took the edge late in practice before putting on a spectacle at McLane Stadium this spring. Bohanon wasn't waiting around for a second chance to start after earning the starting job the year prior and elected to transfer to South Florida.
"There is no me without Gerry, there is no last year without Gerry, there's none of that," Aranda said. "You walk in my house, I've got pictures of my kids posing next to Gerry. It's just kind of a crazy thing."
Aranda said that the staff was very open and honest throughout the process, often giving advice to both passers on where to improve. There wasn't a favorite among the coaches. Aranda wanted a fair fight between the two.
The conversation about what comes next would have been tough either way. It was different with Bohanon, not because of the player his quarterback was on the field, but rather the person who shined bright off it.
"I always look at people before I look at players, and I think in this one we had to look at who could be the better player for us and not really incorporate the person, which is just kind of the opposite of what I usually do," said Aranda. "It just became a difficult thing."
One thing Aranda wanted from the start was to be upfront with his quarterbacks. He needed to give Bohanon options before it was too late. And yes, one of those options was letting him leave for a better opportunity.
Football is a business not just for coaches, but also for players. It wasn't personal to Aranda when Bohanon turned in his jersey.
He still is rooting for his success. It just happens to be 900 miles west of Tampa Bay.
Said Aranda: "I just think looking at Gerry and his predicament and wanting the best for him … the fair thing to do was to make that move early."
The Bears enter the 2022 campaign as the preseason favorite to repeat as Big 12 champs. Baylor opens the season at home against Albany on Sept. 3.
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