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Baylor dismisses Dave Aranda and begins college football coaching search

Baylor University fired head football coach Dave Aranda on October 25 following a period of sustained losing seasons after his 2021 Sugar Bowl victory.

FTMQ Sports, written by our newsroom0 views

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Picture: CBS College Football

Baylor University dismissed head football coach Dave Aranda on Sunday, October 25, 2026, according to CBS College Football and CBS Sports. The move made Baylor the third Power 4 college football program to change head coaches during the 2026 season. [1][3]

First-year defensive coordinator Jon Klanderman took over as interim head coach following the firing, CBS College Football reported. Baylor defeated UCF 41-9 in Klanderman's head coaching debut in Week 9. [1]

Aranda originally joined Baylor ahead of the 2020 season following successful stints as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and LSU, CBS College Football reported. He led Baylor to a 12-2 record, a Big 12 title, a Sugar Bowl win, and a top-five finish in the AP Poll in 2021. However, CBS College Football noted that Aranda was unable to maintain that success, recording a losing record overall and in Big 12 conference play for the rest of his tenure. [1]

The university has opened a search for its next head coach, with Bears Illustrated releasing a list of potential candidates, CBS College Football and CBS Sports reported. [1][3]

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In short

  • Baylor University fired head football coach Dave Aranda on October 25, 2026.
  • Jon Klanderman took over as interim head coach and led Baylor to a 41-9 victory against UCF in Week 9.
  • Dave Aranda guided Baylor to a 12-2 record and a Sugar Bowl victory in 2021.
  • Baylor was the third Power 4 program to make a head coaching change during the 2026 season.

Sources

Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.

  1. [1]Baylor football coaching search 2026: Candidates, hot board, names to watch from Bears expertsCBS College Football, 2h ago (the report this story comes from)
  2. [2]The killer mistake Bears must avoid at 2026 NFL trade deadline after adding Jeffery SimmonsYahoo Sports Top, 18h ago
  3. [3]Baylor football coaching search 2026: Candidates, hot board, names to watch from Bears expertsCBS Sports, 2h ago

Background

  1. [4]Joey McGuire on Wikipedia
  2. [5]James Franklin (American football coach) on Wikipedia
  3. [6]Chicago Bears on Wikipedia

Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 6 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.

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