By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Editor
When “Power” played over the loudspeakers in the fourth quarter at McLane Stadium in Baylor’s loss to TCU, the visiting Horned Frogs were jumping around and felt lively while the Bears quietly dispersed from the huddle.
That served as an example of how the team looked throughout its last two games, dropping back-to-back matchups it was favored in. Those defeats proved to be the final straw in Dave Aranda’s tenure.
Taking over for the rest of the season is interim head coach Joe Klanderman, who joined Baylor (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) over the offseason as defensive coordinator. Now leading a program for the first time in his career, he aims to ignite the quieted Bears.
“I’m going to try to provide a jolt of energy that I think this program desperately needs,” Klanderman said. “I think the players need it. I think the staff needs it. I think the fan base needs it. I the alumni need it.”
Creating that energy is not an overnight task. Klanderman is ready to take on the process of connecting with the whole team. He will implement the same technique he used to garner a mutual belief with the defense before the season.
“It starts with building relationships, and that’s a long process,” Klanderman said. “That’s not something that’s going to happen this week. I told the defensive guys when I first got hired, ‘Guys, goal No. 1 for me is, I’ve got to get you guys to trust me. And I can’t stand up here, snap my fingers and say trust me. I’m going to have to do what I said I would do, time and time again until you guys just believe it.’”
Klanderman does not only want to build a rapport with his players and staff. He wants to inject a despondent fanbase with the same bounce it had against TCU over a week ago.
“The TCU game, just seeing that turnout and seeing what Doug and Jovan created over there at McLane was magical,” Klanderman said. ” My address to the fans is twofold. You’re going to get my very best. Everything I have to give, I’m going to give for this program. And then, secondly, is you’re going to get our players’ very best.”
The Baylor faithful came out in droves for the rivalry game, reaching over capacity as the Bears did not find the end zone in their 17-6 loss.
While there are still five games remaining in his first season with the Bears, Klanderman hopes to set up the program for success, even with uncertainty about whether he will be in the same role or in Waco next season.
“I want to try to secure for the future what could be a heck of a football team coming back in 2027,” Klanderman said. “So, I want to try to A, get stronger relationships built; B, agreements in place or whatever, to try to help this football team be in as strong a position next year as I know that it can be.”
Klanderman believes his move to Waco was meant to be. He left a comfortable defensive coordinator position at Kansas State, where he served for seven years. Klanderman’s decision to come to Baylor has already paid off with his first shot as a head coach.
“I just felt like I was called to be here,” Klanderman said. “I needed to get uncomfortable, and I needed to grow. And when this opportunity presented itself through Coach Aranda, just something inside of me felt like this was right to be here in Waco, to be at Baylor.”
The chance to move up presented itself for Klanderman, who has coached defenses his entire career. While he did not think constantly about being a head coach, he hopes to reach that level in a more permanent role is his goal.
“Do I aspire to be a head coach someday? Yes,” Klanderman said. “Is it the first thing that I think about when I wake up in the morning? And do I scheme, ‘How can I do this?’ I really don’t; I never have.”
Klanderman has turned the Baylor defense around in 2026. He inherited a unit that gave up 32.6 points per game — the second most in the Big 12. He is taking up more responsibility across all three phases but will still have a major hand in the defensive play calling. His staff will just have to assume more duties to fill Klanderman’s decreased focus on the defense.
“I’ll been involved with the defensive game-planning, maybe not to the extent that I normally would be,” Klanderman said. “We’re going to have to spread the stress around a little bit on that. Our staff’s going to have to absorb more.”
The remainder of the season will be a difficult test for Klanderman. While some believe the next five games will serve as his tryout for the official head coaching position, Klanderman does not plan to campaign for that spot. He is rather focusing on helping the Bears reach their goals for the season.
“There’s a lot of work to be done this season,” Klanderman said. “We have goals this season. Half the season is still left, and every goal that we had set in the preseason is still in front of us right now.”
Baylor faces UCF and Iowa State before taking on No. 8 BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 18 Houston to close out the season.
The Bears travel east to play the Knights at 6:30 p.m. at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando, Florida.
