Fan frustration surges as Dave Aranda’s tenure reaches a breaking point
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Baylor Bears head coach Dave Aranda is running out of runway. At 5–5 and fresh off a blowout home loss to the Utah Utes, the conversation around his future is no longer hypothetical. During his appearance on the 365 Sports podcast, college football insider Ari Temkin voiced the frustration that has been simmering inside and outside the program.
“You could sell momentum last year. You can’t sell momentum right now,” Temkin said. “It’s clear that Aranda is in over his head as being a head coach. I just don’t know if it could be any more clear at this point.”
Temkin didn’t stop there. He pointed directly to the trajectory of the roster Aranda inherited.
“I think Matt Rhule left a roster intact that was ready to win at a high level and Aranda babysat that team,” he said. “And now, the further removed we are from that Big 12 championship team, the more we recognize that Aranda is probably better suited to be a defensive coordinator.”
Those comments reflect a growing sentiment in Waco: the window Aranda once had to lead Baylor into a new era has closed—and the decline is impossible to ignore.
Baylor fans have been patient, but 5-5 with a 55-28 blowout loss at home isn’t a "rebuild," it’s a regression.
— 365 Sports (@365sportsYT) November 19, 2025
The inconsistency is maddening. You can’t sell hope when the product on the field looks like this in Year 6.
The administration has a tough decision to make, but the… pic.twitter.com/2L2rqReOxf
A Resume That Lost Its Cushion
Aranda arrived in 2020 with the reputation of a defensive mastermind, but five seasons in, the results are uneven at best. He sits at 36–35 overall, with three losing seasons already on his record. This year could make it four, depending on how the final two games unfold.
The peak of his tenure came in 2021, when the Bears beat Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels 21–7 in the Sugar Bowl and cracked the AP Top 10. But the foundation never held. Since then, Baylor has reached two bowl games and lost both, including last year’s Texas Bowl defeat to the LSU Tigers in Houston. They have not finished a season ranked in the AP Poll since 2022.
A Defensive Identity That’s Fallen Apart
Perhaps the most damning statistic is tied directly to Aranda’s calling card. Baylor owns one of the worst defenses in the Big 12 this season, marking the second time in three years the unit has ranked bottom-20 nationally. For a defensive-minded head coach, that slump doesn’t come with excuses.
A Leadership Vacancy at the Worst Time
Complicating everything is the departure of Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades, who stepped down effective immediately this week. With an interim AD now overseeing operations, any decision regarding Aranda may be delayed—but not avoided.
Bowl eligibility remains on the table. Stability does not. And according to Temkin, the evidence is already overwhelming. Right now, the belief that Aranda can still move Baylor forward is harder to sell than ever.
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Jalon Dixon is a sports journalist with a passion for covering basketball at every level. He has written extensively on men’s and women’s college basketball, as well as the NBA, building a reputation for clear analysis and thoughtful storytelling. His work focuses on the players, programs, and trends shaping the sport, offering readers insight that goes beyond the box score. Whether breaking down a key matchup or highlighting emerging talent, Jalon’s goal is to provide balanced coverage that connects fans to the game’s strategy, culture, and ongoing evolution.