Baylor fires Dave Aranda after loss to Kansas

The Baylor Bears lost to the Kansas Jayhawks, 25-24, in Week 8, and now head coach Dave Aranda has been fired. 

ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported the news of Aranda being fired on Sunday morning. Aranda finishes with a disappointing 40-40 record during his seven seasons at Baylor, and the Bears are coming off back-to-back losses to TCU and Kansas as they continue to drop in the Big 12 Conference standings. 

Aranda was named the head coach in 2020, and in 2021, the Bears went 12-2 with a Sugar Bowl win as the move looked to be the right decision. Since then, Baylor has had just one winning season, an 8-5 record that came in 2024. In 2025, Baylor went 5-7, and now Aranda is out after a frustrating ending to his tenure at Baylor. 

Who is Baylor's interim head coach? 

After Aranda was fired, Baylor will turn to defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman as the interim coach, according to Thamel. Klanderman came to the program this season after spending time at Kansas State. Baylor was Aranda's first head-coaching job, and he spent time as an assistant at LSU before coming to Waco. 

Aranda was under contract through the 2029 season, but now Baylor makes the move. The Bears face the UCF Golden Knights on the road on Friday night.