By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Editor
Following the announcement that Baylor fired head coach Dave Aranda, he had one more chance to talk to his team. The last moments of his seven-year tenure at Baylor were described by his appreciation for his players.
“He just shared his gratitude, his thankfulness for what we’ve meant to him and the things that we’ve been able to do for him over the years,” fifth-year safety Michael Allen said.
Aranda’s time saw its highs and lows, leaving the Bears’ fanbase restless for on-field success. While a coach is ultimately measured by his wins and losses, the job allows him to make a profound impact on hundreds of players each year, and Aranda embraced that.
Aranda faced backlash throughout his time in Waco after the Bears’ historic 2021 season. Baylor failed to reach a .500 record and a bowl game in three of the last four seasons, leaving a sour taste from the underwhelming and disappointing finishes.
“I think he’s great, but 40 and 40 [record], I think it’s time for a change at that head coach position,” Waianae, Hawaii, senior Boston Opetaia said.
One of the primary critiques of Aranda as a leader was his stoic demeanor on the sideline. Fans looked to the Baylor bench over the past few years and saw Aranda standing with a relatively nondescript expression.
Some fans attributed the Bears’ lack of energy at times throughout Aranda’s tenure to his absence of animated leadership. It got to a tipping point in Baylor’s 17-6 loss to TCU.
“During the TCU game … our guys on the sideline, what was going on there?” Westlake junior Jack Willbanks said. “There was no energy, not a single bit of energy. I’m going to go ahead and credit that to Dave Aranda.”
The players never gave up on Aranda, despite the Baylor faithful not being sold on Aranda the years after winning the Big 12 Championship.
“Our team really rallied,” Greer said. “They wanted to play well for Coach Aranda.”
That sense of fight stemmed from Aranda’s effect on the guys that played for him.
Aranda gave players and coaches a sense of belonging, and even a calling, when they arrived in Waco.
“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,” interim head coach Joe Klanderman said.
Klanderman had job security and a grounded life at Kansas State, serving as defensive coordinator for seven seasons before joining Baylor in the same role.
“I didn’t have to leave the comfort that I was in,” Klanderman said. “I had a routine; I had friends. I had all the things that everybody craves, and I just felt like I needed to get out of that circle somehow. I needed to get uncomfortable, and I needed to grow.”
Aranda also gave multiple walk-ons a chance to make an impact at the Power Four level. Alongside guys like former Bear Josh Cameron and senior safety Jacob Redding, Allen was able to develop as a player and a coach under Aranda.
“I think of how sad where college football is now and how the walk-on rule doesn’t really exist anymore,” Allen said. “He’s poured into me, and given me roles and given me opportunities I probably wouldn’t have.”
Once players entered Aranda’s program, he invested in them beyond the gridiron. His “Person>Player” philosophy touched players as they reached meaningful milestones in their lives.
“I tell people all the time, I’m like, ‘I came to Waco as a boy, and under his program and his values, I’m a man,” senior tight end Matthew Klopfenstein said. “I’m married now, and I can credit that to the things I’ve learned under his program.”
Aranda also connected with his coaching staff through the insight he has learned over his 30 years as a coach. That insight looks to stick with them after Aranda left the program.
“The cool thing about my experience being here with him was that he was willing to share [his wisdom],” defensive line coach Jacori Greer said. “I took a lot of different things that are … precious to me. They’re intangible, but I’ll always have [them].”
He left such an impact on those he worked alongside that they made sure to write it down and implement it for teams to come.
“I have a notebook … one of those five-section notebooks, and I swear it’s filled up already,” defensive line coach Jacori Greer said. “I had to go get another book, and I’m like, ‘Gosh,’ just because he’s got so many sayings, he’s got so much wisdom.“
