Baylor football coaching search 2026: Candidates, hot board, names to watch from Bears experts

The third Power 4 program to make a coaching move in the 2026 college football carousel was Baylor as the Bears moved on from head coach Dave Aranda on Sunday, Oct. 25. A celebrated defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and LSU, Aranda landed at Baylor before the 2020 season. In 2021, he went 12-2 with a Sugar Bowl win and a top-5 finish in the AP Poll. He was never able to sustain that success, however, as the Bears were sub-.500 overall for the rest of his tenure both overall and in the Big 12. 

Who are the top names on the Baylor hot board? If you want the latest on the Baylor football coaching search, see what the proven team of experts are saying at Bears Illustrated, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Baylor.

If you want all of the latest Baylor news and scoop, there's no better place than Bears Illustrated. It's the most trusted source for intel on the Bears and has the largest and most dedicated community of Baylor fans. The staff led by Tim Watkins and it will tell you what's happening before it happens. Sign up for a VIP membership now and uncover all the insider info, analysis and more.

And right now, Bears Illustrated is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Bears Illustrated has revealed some names to watch in the coaching search, and and there are some surprising names in the mix. Head to Bears Illustrated now to see them all.

Top Baylor football coach candidates

One name that Watkins has identified as a potential target in his look at what the next Baylor football coach could be like, is UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor. He is 58-27 overall as the head coach at UTSA since taking over in 2020 with a 37-12 conference mark split across time in Conference USA and the AAC/American Conference. 

After spinning their wheels a bit the past two seasons, the Roadrunners are off to a fast 5-1 start this year, helping boost his stock again as a coaching candidate. 

"Traylor has the coveted 'Texas Ties' that everyone loves to tout," Watkins said. "He has won across multiple quarterbacks, leaning on Frank Harris for the first run of success but coming back and building another conference title caliber team in a different era. He has hired multiple offensive and defensive coordinators that have done a strong enough job to be poached away from him." See more candidates at Bears Illustrated.

How to get insider Baylor coaching search updates 

The team at Bears Illustrated has included several other exciting possibilities, including a sitting head coach with multiple College Football Playoff appearances. You can only see who it is by joining Bears llustrated.

Who are the top names in the Baylor football coaching search, and which accomplished coach could Baylor take a big swing on? Go to Bears Illustrated to see their Baylor coaching candidates and more, all from a team of reporters with extensive experience covering the Bears, and find out. 

And remember, Bears Illustrated is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership, so subscribe now before it's too late.

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Baylor insiders reveal coaching hot board

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