The Baylor Bears’ 2025 season has been a rollercoaster. They are sitting at an even 5-5 overall with a 3-4 conference record in the tough Big 12. And guess what? Like always, all the heat is falling on the play caller, Dave Aranda. After a promising 2021 Big 12 title, Aranda’s teams haven’t hit 8 wins since. But with growing frustration among fans, the front office administration decided to take another chance on the 49-year-old.

On3’s Pete Thamel posted on X that “Baylor announces the school is keeping coach Dave Aranda for the 2026 season.” Baylor University President Linda Livingstone also showed his support for Aranda. “We recognize this decision will generate strong opinions,” Linda said. “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.”

However, part of this decision was also made to avoid Dave Aranda’s buyout money, which exceeds $12 million. Aranda signed an extension in February 2022 that keeps him locked in through 2029 and pays him over $4.7 million a year before bonuses. If Baylor cuts ties early, they’d probably have to pay out a buyout spread over several years. Aranda’s squad sits at a middling 5-5 mark this season, with the best highlight still being that magical 12-2 run back in 2021. Since then, the Bears have struggled to reach eight wins, and a 36-35 record over six seasons doesn’t scream dominance.

And it’s not even like Aranda doesn’t have proper players. Sawyer Robertson is lighting it up this year. He leads the nation with 3,210 passing yards, plus 29 touchdowns and nine picks. But on the other side of the ball, Aranda’s defense is struggling, sitting all the way down at 119th. The unit gave up 31.9 points per game. However, with AD Mack Rhoades leaving, the firing of Aranda will likely exacerbate the situation. Plus, Aranda’s connection with players and alignment with Baylor’s Christian mission brought him some trust. Additionally, he had made several changes during his tenure that sometimes bore results.

Before last season, he brought in coordinator Jake Spavital, and Spavital has cranked Baylor’s offense up from 23.1 points per game in 2023 to over 33 points per game the last two seasons. The president is aware of the current coaching situation throughout America. Linda highlighted the current economic climate in college sports, as well as the tumultuous coaching carousel this year, with jobs opening at prominent institutions such as Penn State, LSU, Florida, 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,” she wrote. But do the fans agree to this?

Fans speak out against Baylor’s decision to keep Dave Aranda

Baylor’s decision to stick with Dave Aranda in 2026 has sparked some fire from fans. And the first one hits with a brutal irony, stating, “Have you even seen someone contradict themselves in 3 sentences? You have now.” And another fan with the same feeling wrote, “‘We are not settling for mediocrity’ proceeds to settle for mediocrity.” Yes, Aranda took Baylor to glorious heights in 2021 with a 12-2 Big 12 title and Sugar Bowl win. But that’s it.

“Baylor’s announcement that they are settling in is inspired by Wisconsin and Florida last year,” another fan wrote. Take Wisconsin: Luke Fickell’s Badgers stayed put despite a middling season hovering around .500 first time in 22 years. They even canned offensive coordinator Phil Longo midseason to shake things up, but kept head coach Fickell because firing him meant a huge financial buyout and uncertainty. Things are the same at Gainesville, but Florida had the guts to fire Billy Napier after a 22-23 record over three-plus seasons.

The Gators are also on the road to take in high-profile names like Lane Kiffin to repair the damage. Lastly, a fan added, “Just hire Eric Morris and have him bring his QB and HB.” Morris, the head coach at North Texas, has quickly earned a reputation as a QB whisperer and offensive genius. Currently boasting a standout 9-1 season and mounting serious playoff buzz. Bringing in Morris would likely mean Baylor would get not only fresh coaching tactics but also the chance to lure his quarterback and running back.

That means Sawyer Robertson will get a good amount of wisdom.