Who will replace Dave Aranda at Baylor?
Program legend and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III said Monday, Oct. 26, he has interest in the job. Now a college football analyst with Fox Sports, Griffin told Dan Patrick on his eponymously named show he knows what it takes to win at his alma mater.
"Yes, 100%," Griffin said after he was asked about his interest in the job. "And if Baylor wants to get back to winning and have a university that isn't just respectable on the football field, but the fans can be proud of, they need people who know what it looks like to win at Baylor.
"I would 100% be interested. I've talked with the athletic director,
who is a guy in Doug McNamee that knows what it looks like to win at Baylor, knows how you have to win at Baylor and recruit to Baylor to make those things happen."
Aranda was fired on Sunday, Oct. 25, after Baylor's 25-24 loss to Kansas, which marked its second consecutive loss after a 2-0 start to conference play. Aranda went 12-2 in his second season at the helm, but hadn't won more than eight games in a season since winning the Sugar Bowl in 2021.
Griffin III is likely not a serious candidate to replace Aranda, with no experience coaching in college football or at any level. That said, he mentioned a few names he'd also recommend Baylor take a look at for its opening.
"Outside of myself, I would also advocate for Spencer Danielson, the head coach at Boise State," Griffin said. "I think he is a top-notch guy (and) a top-notch coach and knows how to win. I also think Jeff Traylor at UTSA is a great option. A dark horse would be Lincoln Riley from USC."
Danielson and Traylor feel like realistic choices. But would Riley leave Southern California for Baylor?
Griffin thinks it wouldn't be surprising, especially with how things are going right now with the Trojans, who are 6-2 this season after a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin in Week 8. Riley, who was poached from Oklahoma after the 2021 season, hasn't had the tenure he or USC were expecting when the program pledged what was then reported to be one of the biggest coaching contracts in college football.
"If Baylor wants to get back to winning and have a university that isn't just respectable on the football field, but one the fans can be proud of, they need people who know what it looks like to win at Baylor." — @RGIII says he's interested in the Baylor head coaching job. 🐻🏈 pic.twitter.com/tgrnYZM0nQ
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) October 26, 2026
"I don't think that USC wants to pay Lincoln Riley what it has to pay him for him to leave, without him having another opportunity to offset that," he said. "I think it would be more of a situation where if Lincoln Riley was interested in leaving, that USC would be OK working that out as long as some of their funds can go back to them. ... I think that would be a move that would be advantageous for both parties when it comes to that."
Baylor is one of only a few Power Four jobs that have opened this cycle, along with Maryland and North Carolina State. In a year that's shaping up to have less action in the coaching carousel, Baylor could end up with numerous options to replace Aranda.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Robert Griffin III says he wants Baylor job, but offers alternative coaching candidates
