Money matters: How Dave Aranda, Baylor learned to adapt and embrace new era of college football

WACO, Texas — It’s after 6 p.m. on a Wednesday in August and Dave Aranda is moments away from having himself a ninth cup of coffee.

Such is life during preseason camp for a man who not only serves as the head coach of Baylor but also coordinates its defense and calls defensive plays.

Advertisement

“It takes a lot of coffee,” he says with a smile. “Texas pecan roast.”

Aranda explains that he has installed more defensive play-calls this offseason than he has in any other year of his coaching career. Last season, his first calling a defense in five years, he learned a hard truth: His defense — for years heralded as one of the most innovative in football — failed to evolve with its offensive counterpart.

It has grown stale.

Now is the time, Aranda says, to change, add new wrinkles and create complexities. It’s a weird place for a coach who many describe as a “mad scientist” of defensive football, operating a scheme for years that felt so far ahead of everyone else.

Advertisement

Well, look out, he’s back in the lab.

“When you get older, there’s an element of, ‘Old guy yelling at the cloud,’” said the 48-year-old Aranda. “You have beliefs and you harden around them. You’ve got to let that stuff go.”

The defensive overhaul is only a piece of the brewing change in Waco.

Dave Aranda and Baylor are embracing a new approach when it comes to paying players. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)

Playing catch-up

Baylor, a small, private faith-based institution in the heart of Texas, resisted the intentional pay-for-play method in compensating athletes until a year ago, officials here acknowledge. For example, the name, image and likeness budget for football grew by more than $5 million from 2023 to 2024 and, with the onset of athlete revenue-sharing this year, it may reach $15 million.

Advertisement

As the 2025…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/money-matters-how-dave-aranda-baylor-learned-to-adapt-and-embrace-new-era-of-college-football-125529307.html

Author : Ross Dellenger

Publish date : 2025-08-25 12:55:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Check Also

Michigan Signal-Stealer Connor Stalions Trolls Ohio State After Dave Portnoy Ban

Dave Portnoy has never shied away from trolling Ohio State, but now the Buckeyes have …

Exit mobile version