Robert Griffin III would '100% be interested' in filling Baylor's head coaching vacancy

Despite having no coaching experience at any level, former Baylor Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III would be interested in the Bears' vacancy following Sunday's firing of coach Dave Aranda.

Griffin, a college football analyst and Texas native, wants to see his former program nationally relevant again at the highest level.

"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," Griffin said Monday on the Dan Patrick Show. 

"So yeah, I would 100% be interested. I talked with the athletic director, who is a guy in Doug McNamee that knows what it looks like to win at Baylor, know how you have to win at Baylor and recruit to Baylor to make those things happen."

Griffin set several single-season program records at Baylor in 2011 after throwing for 4,293 yards and 37 touchdowns, to go along with 699 yards rushing and 10 scores. He later earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors before injuries derailed a promising career.

Since Griffin helped the Bears capture their 10th win in the Alamo Bowl to end this tenure, Baylor has hit 11 or more wins in a single season three times -- including a 12-2 finish in 2021 under Aranda as the Big 12 champions. Only one winning season since fueled Baylor's decision to cut ties with Aranda over the weekend after a loss to Kansas.

Griffin mentioned UTSA's Jeff Traylor and Boise State's Spencer Danielson as two coaches he would advocate for the job, along with USC's Lincoln Riley. 

 "I know (Riley's) got his experiences at Oklahoma and obviously, what's going on at USC right now," Griffin said.

Baylor not the only Power Four vacancy

Perhaps Griffin stated publicly that he would be interested in Baylor due to the recent development that another Power Four job, NC State, is considering former Wolfpack quarterback and NFL great Philip Rivers for its new head coach.

Like Griffin, Rivers is beloved by his former program and enjoyed some of the best seasons in program history during his tenure at NC State in the early 2000s. However, Rivers has coached prep football in Alabama the last six seasons and interviewed in January for the Buffalo Bills' job.

McNamee has been Baylor's new AD for 11 months, and this will mark the first major hire of his tenure. The Bears expect to have a roster capable of competing in the Big 12 next season, including the return of transfer quarterback DJ Lagway in 2027.

CBS Sports previously reported the program will likely look for a coach with Texas roots and one who's offensive-minded.

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