Make or break 2024 season for Dave Aranda with Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears open up the season on August 31st at home against Tarleton State. While the Texans should be no issue for the Bears, the rest of the schedule could prove to be a challenge. The man feeling the most pressure to have a big season in Waco is head coach Dave Aranda.

This is the fifth season for Aranda at Baylor. The 47-year-old came to Waco from LSU , where he was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator.

Aranda made a pair of bowl games, including a Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss. The last two seasons have not been great, however, with just nine wins in 22 games. The Bears are 6-12 in their last two seasons in Big 12 play.

USA TODAY Sports writer Scooby Axson put together a list of 10 head coaches who were on the hottest of hot seats to start the season. Aranda was on the list. Axson had this to say about his time with the Bears:

It seems like a lifetime ago since Baylor won the Sugar Bowl over Ole Miss (it was 2022), and any goodwill gleaned from the victory has slowly gone by the wayside. The Bears had the worst offense and defense in the Big 12, so Aranda has taken the reigns back and is calling the defense. Bringing in Jake Spavital to retool the offense was a smart move. The truth is there is no reason why the Bears can’t win this conference and win it consistently for years to come.

After Tarleton State leaves town, things get serious right away. Baylor goes on the road to Utah, which is the favorite to win the Big 12 in 2024. The Bears have a home game against Air Force, before going to Boulder to take on Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes . The Bears finish September with a home game against BYU.