Tag: Jake Spavital

Report: Baylor set to hire Jake Spavital as the next OC

Spavital returns to the Big 12 as offensive coordinator with Baylor.

Former Texas State head coach Jake Spavital is reportedly heading to Waco to join the Baylor staff as the next offensive coordinator per David Smoak. Spavital was most recently the offensive coordinator with California after being fired from Texas State after a four-year stint as the head coach.

Spavital has spent time as the play-caller at Texas A&M from 2013 to 2015, California in 2016 and 2023, and West Virginia in 2017 and 2018. The Baylor Bears needed to make changes to the staff after another poor performance from the team in 2023. Dave Aranda is among the coaches feeling the heat heading into next season.

This past season Baylor was ranked worst in the conference in scoring offense where they averaged just 23.1 points per game. The Bears also ranked No. 11 in the Big 12 in total offense, 377.8 yards per game.

Recently quarterback Blake Shapen opted to transfer leaving the Bears with former Mississippi State passer Sawyer Robertson as their likely starter next season, unless they raid the portal. The Bears will need a boost on the recruiting trail where they rank No. 11 in the new-look Big 12. Only BYU, Colorado, Utah, Kansas State, and Houston have worse classes according to 247Sports.

In 2023, Spavital’s offense ranked No. 7 in scoring offense (31.6 points per game) and No. 8 in total offense (395.7 yards per game) in the Pac-12. The Golden Bears finished the final year in the Pac-12 at 6-6. They will play in a bowl game before gearing up for the ACC in 2024. They are joining Stanford and SMU in the new-look Atlantic Coast Conference.

More changes are likely to be expected for Baylor as they try to recapture the magic from the 2021 season, where they won the Big 12. The team has finished 9-16 and 6-12 in conference play over the last two seasons. Overall, Dave Aranda is 23-25 as a head coach of the Bears.