Baylor is retaining football coach Dave Aranda, university president Linda Livingstone announced Friday, citing instability at the school and in college sports a day after athletic director Mack Rhoades resigned for personal reasons.
"After careful evaluation and consideration, we have decided to retain Coach Dave Aranda as the leader of our football program," Livingstone wrote in a letter to the school's supporters. "We recognize this decision will generate strong opinions. Let me be clear: Baylor expects excellence, accountability and competitiveness at the highest level. We are not complacent, and we are not settling for mediocrity."
The Bears are 5-5 (3-4 Big 12) in 2025, closing the regular season at Arizona and then at home against No. 23 Houston.
Aranda went 2-7 in his first year in Waco in 2020. The Bears rebounded in 2021 with a 12-2 season and a Big 12 championship but have not come close to those heights again. After a 3-9 season in 2023, the Bears started 2-4 in 2024 as fans grew frustrated before a six-game winning streak to close the regular season followed by a Texas Bowl loss to LSU.
This year, quarterback Sawyer Robertson leads the country in passing with 3,210 yards, along with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but the defense, where Aranda calls the plays, ranks 119th, giving up 31.9 points per game.
Livingstone cited several factors in her decision, including the vacancy of the athletic director role, saying the next leader should have the opportunity to do their own assessment.
She also cited the current economic factors in college sports coinciding with an unusually active coaching cycle, with openings at Penn State, LSU, Florida and Auburn, among others.
"In an era of extreme volatility in college athletics with NIL, the transfer portal, revenue-sharing, and much more, this approach allows us to invest wisely in the program's future rather than incur significant buyout costs during an unprecedented turnover of coaches across the country," she wrote.
Aranda has made several staff changes over his tenure, including replacing both coordinators and several staffers. Before last season, he hired coordinator Jake Spavital, who has improved Baylor's offense from 23.1 points per game in 2023 to more than 33 points per game over the past two seasons.
Baylor is giving Aranda, now in his sixth season, another chance to right the ship after a 36-35 record in Waco, saying he is a fit for the program's mission.
"Baylor Football has experienced both historic highs and challenging seasons under Coach Aranda," Livingstone wrote. "We know this season has not met our shared expectations. Please know that our team respects and loves playing for Coach Aranda. I can also attest he aligns with Baylor's Christian mission and is an incredible ambassador for our University."