Dave Aranda and the Baylor Bears officially parted ways after a 14-game win streak against Kansas came to an end last weekend in Lawrence. With former Kansas State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman in the interim coaching chair, the search is on for Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee to land the school’s next head football coach.
Choosing to fire Aranda amid his seventh season, Baylor is a strong target for any head coaching candidate (yes, even Robert Griffin III) and certainly a program that can win – and likely still can legitimately compete for a bowl game at 4-3 with five games to go – and we’re already exploring all the expected names to rise within the conversation over the next couple of months.
UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor should be chief among them.
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A former tight end at Stephen F. Austin, Traylor is a Texas high school football coaching staple turned successful American Conference head coach with a 60-27 career mark with the Roadrunners. At 58 years old, Traylor appears poised for a head coaching opportunity in the Power Four following stops at Arkansas in the SEC and at Texas while a member of the Big 12.
Asked about outside job interest, Traylor made it clear his commitment to UTSA and his active season as his team competes for the third conference title of his tenure in San Antonio.
Baylor is a big step, but it’s an absolute upgrade in resources compared to UTSA. It’d be a hard offer for any Greater 6 coach to turn down. Traylor is currently under contract at UTSA through 2031.
The timing of Aranda’s departure signals that Baylor’s ahead of this coaching search and likely wants to name a successor near the end of the regular season or immediately after. The Bears have a winning record, multiple winnable games left on the calendar and a former five-star quarterback, DJ Lagway, all working in their favor with Klanderman coaching out the rest of 2026.
The move to split with their longtime coach feels fully intentional to net a new coach soon. Could Traylor be part of the interview panel? It all depends on what Baylor can do to free him from his first head coaching gig and bring him to the Big 12.
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