4 Coaches That Could Replace Dave Aranda at Baylor

These four college head coaches may be prime candidates to replace Dave Aranda at Baylor.

Sep 19, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Power Four coaching carousel is spinning as the end of October approaches.

Maryland was the first Power Four program to make a move when it fired Mike Locksley on Wednesday, four days after a loss to a terrible Rutgers team. NC State parted ways with Dave Doeren on Saturday, less than 24 hours after a road loss to Stanford.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that Baylor parted ways with head coach Dave Aranda on Sunday morning. Sitting at 40-40 in the midst of his seventh season on the job, Aranda sat atop one of the warmest seats in college football.

The Bears were 4-1 five games into the season, the only loss to Auburn due to a failed two-point conversion. However, a 17-6 home loss to TCU and a blown fourth quarter lead at Kansas destroyed any hopes of a sustained turnaround the last two weeks.

Aranda is the first coach Baylor has fired due to poor on-field performance in nearly two decades. Art Briles was fired with cause due to an investigation into the handling of sexual assault allegations in 2016, Jim Grobe retired after one season as interim head coach in 2017, and Matt Rhule was hired away by the Carolina Panthers in 2020.

Below, we examine four head coaches that could be prime candidates for the opening at Baylor.

1. Jeff Traylor

Traylor has brought stability to a relatively young UTSA program in his seven seasons on the job. The Roadrunners are 58-27 under Traylor and sit at 7-1 overall through their first eight games, a mark that has them roosting atop the American Conference standings.

Deep roots in Texas also make Traylor an attractive candidate for the Baylor job. He spent 25 years in the Texas high school football circuit before jumping to college, and his first two jobs as an assistant were at Texas and SMU.

2. Jason Eck

Oct 17, 2026; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; New Mexico Lobos head coach Jason Eck watches his team before they take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eck is far and away the hottest name in the Group of Six ranks. Before he made the jump to New Mexico, he guided Idaho to an aggregate 26-13 record composed of seven, nine and 10-win finishes.

The Lobos' nine-win mark in 2025 was their best in nearly a decade, and their only loss this season was in a 14-6 defensive struggle at Oklahoma. Couple Eck's on-field results with his fun press conferences and fiery in-game demeanor and he looks like a home-run hire waiting to happen for a Power Four program.

3. Charles Huff

Four jobs in four years might be pushing it, but Huff has won everywhere he's been a head coach. Marshall opted not to renew Huff's contract at the end of 2024, the same season he won the Sun Belt Championship game, so he went to Southern Miss.

The Golden Eagles were 7-5 under Huff in 2025 but were unable to keep him when Memphis came looking for someone to replace Ryan Silverfield. The Tigers are 6-2 with losses at Boise State and Tulane through their first eight games.

4. Lincoln Riley

Oct 24, 2026; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Wahl-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Riley is the classic "turn the clock back" coaching candidate. USC sits at 6-2 following a horrific loss at Wisconsin, and poor results in upcoming matchups with Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA could spell the end of Riley's tenure with the Trojans.

Stylistically, Baylor's best teams in the last 15 years have been the ones with high-flying offenses, particularly those from the Art Briles years. Riley consistently kept Oklahoma in College Football Playoff contention with that formula in the Big 12, and like the aforementioned Traylor, he has deep ties to the state of Texas.