Everything Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said on the main stage at Big 12 Media Days

The Baylor head coach answered some big questions.

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Tuesday marked Day 1 of Big 12 Media Days. One of the coaches to take the main stage was Baylor head coach Dave Aranda. The Bears' head coach went to the podium and addressed questions from the media.

Here is everything Aranda said on the main stage.

Opening statement

“Thank you. You know, I wanted to start just by acknowledging and commenting on just
the flood and just the travesty there in Central Texas. Just so affected by that as a
parent and you know I know a lot of you guys are the same way. I remember when my
little girls were going to camp and just the build up to it, the anticipation, and the
nervousness and then the excitement. Then when you drop them off, it's kind of scary
and then it ends up being so good. Oh my, I initially think of it like that. I think of it
through that lens and then I learned more about the little girls that passed away and the
little girls that are missing. It's a parent's worst nightmare and it's beyond tragedy. The
last couple days, I have just really been struggling with that. My wife and I have been
just keeping up with it and I just wanted to say that.

You know, my heart is broken and the girls and the families affected are in my thoughts.
I'm hopeful maybe football can be somewhat of a distraction here coming up on when
we get to the Saturdays and in the fall and so you know from all of this.

I feel good about the direction of the team. It's a talented team and it's a hard working
team and it is a team that's hungry. I think it's a team that is really buying and working
hard for respect. And so, from the very beginning in January, there's been some
additions from the portal and the high school class and there's been a few changes on
defense with the staff and the gelling of all that's been really strong. I think there's been
really strong qualities that each individual brought and we've tried to build a identify
that early and then kind of cater everything to flow in that way so that those people are
in the best spot to do what they do best. I feel that that's on track. You know, I think it's
a challenging schedule for us and what we've got to be able to do is be detailed and be
consistent and be disciplined.

Our focus is really in those areas and there's ways that we can achieve that here in the
summertime and in fall camp and our focus is totally that way. We're looking forward to
a really positive season and starting off the season strong.”

On opening the season on a Friday night against Auburn

“We're excited for that first game. I think that, you know, it's going to take a really, really
detailed and focused approach to be in some big moments in that game and to win
those moments and put us in a position to win the game. I think there’s got to be
growth from where we were a couple months ago versus our bowl opponent to this
one. We're going to be in some similar spots and the outcomes got to be different. So
excited for that opportunity. I know that there's great player-lead leadership on this
team and I really feel that is being driven by knowing what the schedule is and kind of
where the start of all of it is and they're really focused on holding a really strong
standard.

"And just whatever the process is, whatever the day-to-day is up to bat. I feel really
strong and about the Conference and our schedule is an example of it. You look at the
amount of teams we're playing that have got quarterbacks that are just so difficult to
contain and you got defenses that are so pressure heavy and disguise their looks and
you've got the schematics on offense or just at the at the forefront of college football
and the tough road environments. I think you know you look at every Saturday, it's a
toss-up in terms of who's going to come out and so I'm looking forward to that. I know
it's going to take the best that we got and we're looking forward to give that.”

On the loss of Alex Foster

“I think it's very hard that you know – I think you or will say me. I know that life is not
fair. I think if someone were to ask me that and just passing, I would acknowledge that,
but then you know, here's Alex. He’s just like a gentle giant, such a humble heart, always
wanting to please, always wanting to do right, to do good. Always on the side of
encouragement. There's not really a mean bone in this boy's body. And then for it to
kind of go the way that it went, it gets you mad because it's not fair. And I don't know, I
think our whole team feels that. There’s days that are better than others. But then it’s
just, the anger to sadness back and forth. And I think it's going to be there for a while,
so we have to kind of learn to live with it and move alongside it. We took the team to
the funeral and I thought that that was really powerful and I'm glad that we did that.
But, I think there's still a lot of work that needs to be done.”

On the hunger of the team

“I think there's a confidence in this team where I think previously, there would be things
that we would talk about. There would be things that would be like, hey, here's a
practice clip or here is an example of it kind of happening somewhere else at some
other school or for our team. Our returners have gone through it and in big moments
accomplish the thing that they set out to do, to make the play or to be in position and
knock the ball down or to get a sack or to make a touchdown or whatever it is. There's a
grounded confidence now, and it's a whole different way of being. Whereas, prior,
you're trying to prove it, you're trying to show it. Is it there? I believe it is, but is it there
now to know that? We are that guy. I am that guy. I think that's a way different thing.
Leading from that space kind of can put you in more of an attack mode and more of a
go take it mode. So, I think the hunger comes from that.”

On the offensive line

“I feel good. It's the most depth of any team I've been a part of and I think the ability for
guys to have to push themselves to improve and to be focused and detailed. Their work every day is the best it's ever been, and it's because there's dudes right behind them
that are pushing them, trying to take that job. I think that's true at every position, but I
think, that's for sure true on the O line.

"I think their aggressiveness and their ability to communicate are the two things that
separate them. You know, I think the style of offense, the double teams, the vertical
movement and the play action pass helps them, but I think the tempo, the downhill run
is where you know the best of them come out. I think it's one thing kind of going into it.
It's another thing when it's you know tempo and it's the 10th or 11th play of a drive and
they're just pushing the pile forward. Hopefully, we see a whole lot of that this season
coming up.”

On the running back room

“Hill quality. He can finish runs at the second level. He's got great vision and so there's
an RPO read component to the majority of our runs. The line's kind of firing out on
Monday and then on Wednesday, he's able to kind of see the cut or see the crease or
see the lane. He doesn't miss very many of those. He makes his cut and he's off and
going downhill, you know, So there's a great separation between the play starting and
the run occurring and he uses that to his advantage. I think Dawson Pendergrass is one
where there's a great patience and there he's slippery.

"It's hard to get a direct hit on him. I don't know if I've seen one on him and he also can
benefit from the delayed handoff and getting the ball and all the things off of an RPO
look. I think his ability to kind of stick behind an O lineman, stick to a double team and
then, you know, where is he? Then, he shoots out in the C gap. Where is he? When he
shoots out in an A gap, he's there's plenty of clips of him doing that. I think his best is
yet to come. He’s put on weight. He's the biggest that he's been. He's going to be more
durable than what he's been in the past. I think his understanding of the offense has
improved and so I think Bryce and Dawson really feel really strong about a really
effective 1-2 punch and kind of is the heartbeat of our team.”

Longterm plan for Baylor

“I think you have to make a concerted effort to recruit high school players. I think there's
such pressure to win. What we were talking earlier is that you want to be the team that
you know four years from now is taking planes to games, taking buses to games. You
know you want to be in that group. I think everybody feels that and I think winning and
TV views and all the things are kind of pushing the narrative and to be able to develop
players and have relationships with parents and with high school kids, take them from
one phase or one level to a whole other level. I wish in doing that it would be like this,
but a lot of it is like this. With all the pressure to win and the money that's involved in
winning, sometimes you feel like you don't have time for this for an individual player. But to be able to make that time and make that a priority and then to still win is what
we're trying to do and I think building through great high school relationships can build
a really strong freshman, sophomore, junior, senior class. We're hoping to do that.”

Is Baylor a underdog? Is he using that as motivation?

“I think it's good to be so focused on what you're doing. And to be so, so maniacal
about like getting it better and getting it right, and to be so hard on yourself that it
pushes others to be hard on themselves.
I think I would much rather it be so inward focusing that way than focused on what
other people think or what other people are saying and all that. I think from my seat
with this team, there has been a great emphasis on what has been happening on the
inside and I would like to continue to push that and see how far we can take that.”

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