Oddsmakers have Baylor’s Dave Aranda among favorites to be first college football coach fired in 2024

The writing is on the wall for Baylor head coach Dave Aranda in 2024 — and it says his job is on the line every time the Bears take the field.

Oddsmakers have taken notice, with Aranda among the favorites to be the first college football coach fired in 2024 with 7-to-1 odds at BetOnline.com — the fourth-lowest odds of any coach in the country. Florida’s Billy Napier (4-to-1), Arkansas’ Sam Pittman (5-to-1) and Miami’s Mario Crisotbal (6-to-1) were ahead of him.

Aranda took over for Matt Rhule as Baylor’s head coach in 2020, going 2-7, before bouncing back with one of the best seasons in Baylor history in 2021 by going 12-2 and winning a Big 12 Conference title, winning the Sugar Bowl and finishing No. 5 in the final AP Poll.

The Bears have seen a steep decline over the last two seasons with back-to-back losing seasons, including a 3-9 record in 2023.

Aranda isn’t the only coach in the Big 12 on the hot seat headed into 2024. BYU’s Kalana Sitake (9-to-1), Cincinnati’s Scott Satterfield (14-to-1), West Virginia’s Neal Brown (14-to-1) and Colorado’s Deion Sanders (50-to-1) also made the list.