The college football coaching carousel is setting records this season. Brian Kelly's firing on October 26 took the 2025 carousel to a new level, and the Lane Kiffin saga continues to make headlines on a daily basis.
Pete Thamel provides Lane Kiffin update that could sit well with LSU fans
One coach happy to see that his name won't be added to the coaching carousel this season is Baylor head coach Dave Aranda. Aranda's tenure in Waco has gone downhill since a 12-2 season in 2021, and with Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades resigned, fans across the country began wondering if Aranda would be back next season. According to ESPN, Baylor university president Linda Livingstone is bringing Aranda back in 2026.
Dave Aranda returning for at least one more year at Baylor
Livingstone cited several reasons for the decision, including the AD vacancy. "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 Baylor fans on Friday. "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."
Baylor announces that Dave Aranda will return next season in part because there is no full-time athletic director right now. pic.twitter.com/iK5hAhasOP
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 21, 2025
After leading LSU's defense during its historic 2019 National Championship season, Aranda took the head coaching job at Baylor prior to the 2020 season. The Bears struggled in 2020 going just 2-7, but posted a 12-2 mark en route to a Big 12 title and a Sugar Bowl win in 2021. It was the best season in Baylor program history. However, things haven't gone well since then.
The Bears are 5-5 so far this season, and Aranda's record at Baylor is just one game above the .500-mark at 36-35. He has struggled in conference play, owning a 24-28 mark in Big 12 games. Defense is Aranda's calling card, but the Bears defense is having plenty of issues this season. Baylor ranks second to last in the Big 12 and 119th in the country allowing 31.9 points per game on the season.
As it stands, Baylor has the No. 29 recruiting class in the country for 2026 according to 247Sports. Aranda avoids the coaching carousel for now, and it seems like he needs to put together a strong campaign in 2026 to stay in Waco.