Athletic director Doug McNamee called Aranda "a genuine and honorable person" and "a brilliant football mind" in his statement, then said "a change in leadership is necessary at this time for our program."
How he got this far
Aranda was on the hot seat a year ago and survived it. Athletic director Mack Rhoades resigned last Nov. 20, and president Linda Livingstone announced the next day that Aranda would return, citing financial stewardship during a volatile time in college athletics. He was known as slow to adapt to the NIL era. At Big 12 media days in 2024 he said of the Bears' recruiting push, "We're paying players."
This season opened with a 17-16 loss to Auburn in Atlanta, decided by a failed two-point try in the final seconds. Baylor then won four straight, including Big 12 wins over Colorado and at Arizona State, before the two straight losses.
What's next
Klanderman's first game is Friday at UCF. The schedule after that is the hardest part of the Big 12 slate, with trips to BYU and Houston and a home game against Texas Tech in the final three weeks. Baylor's opening adds to a busy coaching market that already includes Maryland and NC State among power-conference jobs.
