Dave Aranda
Football coach; former Baylor head coach and LSU defensive coordinator
- Entries
- 8
- On the record
- 0
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Nov 5, 2026
The record
Dave Aranda made his name as a defensive coordinator. He left Wisconsin, where he earned $522,200 in 2015, to run LSU's defense from January 2016, and by the time he left he was the highest-paid assistant in college football at $2.5 million a year. LSU won the national championship during his four seasons there, and in January 2020 Baylor hired him to replace Matt Rhule, who had left for the Carolina Panthers.
His best season came quickly. Baylor went from 2-7 in 2020 to 12-2 in 2021, beating Oklahoma State 21-16 for the Big 12 title and Ole Miss 21-7 in the Sugar Bowl. AP voters named him Big 12 Coach of the Year, with 15 of 20 votes, and the Maxwell Football Club gave him its George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year award.
Baylor fired him on October 25, 2026, after a 25-24 loss at Kansas, with a 40-40 record overall and a 4-3 start to the season. Athletic director Doug McNamee said a change in leadership was necessary, and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman took over as interim coach. In November, CBS Sports reported that LSU was working to add Aranda in an analyst-type role.
Roles and honours on the record
- 2016-2019 Defensive coordinator, LSU source
- 2020-2026 Head football coach, Baylor University source
- 2021 AP Big 12 Coach of the Year and George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year source
Every entry, newest first
- Reported
Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee confirmed Aranda was fired after a 40-40 record, per KWTX. LSU reportedly works to add fired Baylor coach Dave Aranda
- Reported
ESPN reported, citing a source, a four-year, $10M guaranteed LSU deal at $2.5M a year. LSU reportedly works to add fired Baylor coach Dave Aranda
Stories in this file
The record, entry by entry
- 2016-01-02 Reported Aranda left his post as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator, where he earned $522,200 in 2015, to replace Kevin Steele as LSU's defensive coordinator, ESPN reported. ESPN report
- 2020-01-16 Official Baylor named Aranda its head football coach, replacing Matt Rhule, who had left for the Carolina Panthers. ESPN said he had been earning $2.5 million a year at LSU, the most of any assistant in college football. ESPN report
- 2021-12-09 Official Aranda was named AP Big 12 Coach of the Year with 15 of 20 votes; Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy received the other five. Heartland College Sports report
- 2022-01-19 Official The Maxwell Football Club named Aranda its 2021 George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year after Baylor went 12-2, won the Big 12 title 21-16 over Oklahoma State and beat Ole Miss 21-7 in the Sugar Bowl. Big 12 Conference, release
- 2026-10-25 Official Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee announced Aranda's firing, saying a change in leadership was necessary. Aranda left with a 40-40 record, after a 25-24 loss at Kansas, and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman became interim coach. KWTX report
- 2026-11-05 Reported CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported, citing sources, that LSU was working to add Aranda in an analyst-type role and that he was already in Baton Rouge. No deal had been announced. Yahoo Sports report