Dave Aranda will return as Baylor head coach in 2025, a spokesperson for the football program tells CBS Sports. The news comes on the heels of a 49-35 win at West Virginia on Saturday. The win gave Baylor a 6-4 mark with two contests left, good enough to clinch a bowl berth with room to spare.
The Bears began the season 2-4, with one of those losses a heartbreaking Hail Mary collapse against Colorado. Aranda’s seat — and he entered the season under serious heat — was scorching at that point, but Baylor has rallied to win four straight games, scoring an average of 46 points per game during its streak. And in hindsight, close losses to Colorado and BYU look more forgivable as those two project to play for the Big 12 Championship.
Aranda led Baylor to the Big 12 Championship in 2021, his season season in Waco. The sledding has been more difficult since: 6-7 in 2022 and 3-9 in 2023, but a 49-35 win at West Virginia on Saturday clinched bowl eligibility for the Bears, the third time in Aranda’s five seasons. Aranda’s first season was in 2020 after being hired from his perch as LSU’s DC to replace Matt Rhule.
Baylor plays at Houston next Saturday and finishes the regular season hosting Kansas.
