College football teams have typically used their bye week during the 2025 college football season to announce the firing of a head coach.
Baylor went in the opposite direction on Friday, Nov. 21, as president Linda Livingstone announced the school’s decision to retain head coach Dave Aranda, despite the Bears’ 5-5 record heading into the final two weeks of the season.
Livingstone shared the news in a letter with Baylor, citing instability at the school and in college sports in general, one day after athletic director Mack Rhoades resigned for personal reasons.
‘After careful evaluation and consideration, we have decided to retain Coach Aranda as the leader of our football program,’ Livingston’s letter read. ‘We recognize this decision will garner 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.’
The Bears close out the season with games against Arizona and No. 24 Houston, needing one more win to become bowl eligible.
Aranda has enjoyed many highs and lows during his six seasons with Baylor, posting a 36-35 record. The Bears went 2-7 in his first season in 2020, but rebounded with a 12-2 2021 season, which included a Sugar Bowl win.
However, Baylor went 6-7 in 2022, 3-9 in 2023 and started 2-4 last season before rebounding to finish 8-5. Despite having the leading passer in the nation in quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who has passed for 3,210 yards and 29 touchdowns along with nine interceptions, Baylor has been inconsistent this season due to its defense – Aranda’s specialty.
Livingston cited ‘stability during a transition,’ ‘student-athlete experience’ and ‘financial stewardship’ as the main reasons for retaining Aranda. The 2025 season has seen at least 11 FBS coaches fired so far, including major openings at LSU, Florida, Penn State and Auburn.
‘In an era of extreme volatility in college athletics with NIL, the transfer portal, revenue-sharing, and much more, this approach allows us to invest wisely in the program’s future rather than incur significant buyout costs during an unprecedented turnover of coaches across the country,’ Livingston said.