Coaching
Head coach: Dave Arnada
Offensive coordinator: Larry Fedora
Defensive coordinator: Ron Roberts
Analysis: Former head coach Matt Rhule left Baylor for the NFL and the Carolina Panthers after a historic 11-3 season. To replace him, the Bears brought in Dave Aranda, the defensive coordinator for last year’s national championship team, LSU.
Aranda has never been a head coach in his career, being a defensive coordinator for Hawaii, Utah State, Wisconsin, and LSU over the past 10 years. Six of Aranda’s defensive players got drafted last season after only giving up 21.9 points per game in the SEC last season.
He will be joined by Ron Roberts on the defensive side of the ball. Also coming from the state of Louisiana, Roberts was the defensive coordinator for the Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana. Leading the Sun Belt in sacks and points per game, Louisiana fielded one of the best Group of Five defenses.
Moving over to the offensive side of the ball, Larry Fedora, who spent time with Texas in 2019 as an analyst, was hired as the offensive coordinator. Before coming to Austin, Fedora was the head coach of North Carolina before being replaced by Mack Brown in 2018. Fedora’s Tar Heel offenses averaged just under 440 yards per game during his seven seasons in charge.
The only new coaching group in the Big 12 this season, the jury is still out on how Aranda will perform in Waco. Being a first-time head coach will come with its ups and downs but momentum is with Baylor.