Baylor is retaining Dave Aranda as its head football coach, sources confirmed to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. The Bears lost to West Virginia on Saturday to close the season at 3-9. It was the third losing season in four seasons under Aranda. The other was the best season in program history – a 12-win Big 12 championship team that knocked off Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. 

Aranda was extended through 2029 after that season. Baylor is a private school so it is not obligated to release terms of the contract, but reports suggest the buyout would be over $20 million dollars. He’s 23-25 as the head coach at Baylor. His program is 9-16 overall with a 6-12 record in the Big 12 since the start of 2022. 

Baylor won close games with a great defense during the 2021 season. The Bears were 4-1 in one-possession games and only allowed 30 points once – in a two-point loss to rival TCU. The defense only allowed 18.3 points a game. That number rose to 26.8 points per game last year and 33.3 points per game in 2023. Aranda was a former defensive coordinator who was hired after helping LSU win the national title in 2019. 

Sources also indicate that Aranda is being retained with the understanding that “significant” staff changes are made.