By Zach Babajanof-Rustrian | Intern
Jake Spavital is returning to the Lone Star State after being named the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Baylor, head coach Dave Aranda announced Thursday.
Spavital was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of California, Berkeley, during the 2023 season. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Texas State for four years, and he served as the OC and QB coach at West Virginia, Cal and Texas A&M.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jake to Waco to lead our offensive attack,” Aranda said. “Jake is one of the best offensive minds in the nation, having worked with some of the most innovative offenses in college football, and brings a great perspective to the offensive side of the ball as a former head coach in the state.”
According to a Baylor Athletics press release, Spavital’s first game with the Golden Bears set a school record with 681 yards of total offense — an all-time record for the team during a road game. Additionally, Spavital has worked with long list of elite collegiate and NFL quarterbacks, even helping Kyler Murray become the No. 1 draft pick in 2019 for the Arizona Cardinals.
“I am excited to get back to Texas and thankful for the opportunity to work with Dave and his staff,” Spavital said. “I’ve admired Dave from afar for quite some time and have always viewed him as a coach that would be great to work alongside in the future, if I ever got that chance.”
Shawn Bell, who was the quarterbacks coach for Baylor during the 2021-2023 seasons, will return to his role as the tight ends coach, which he held during the 2020 season.
As Baylor football undergoes many changes, Spavital said he is looking forward to the 2024 season.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to join a great Baylor staff,” Spavital said. “I can’t wait to get to Waco and get to work getting this offense ready for 2024.”
