Baylor and NC State seek coaches after firing head coaches

Baylor and NC State dismissed their head football coaches within a day of each other, leaving both college football programs searching for new leadership while facing identical decisions about whether to rush a hire or write off the remainder of their seasons. Dave Aranda was dismissed by Baylor on Sunday following a 24-25 loss to Kansas, while Dave Doeren was dismissed on Friday after a 28-31 defeat against Stanford dropped the Wolfpack to a 3-4 record, DAZN reported.

Aranda Departs Waco After Kansas Defeat

Baylor dismissed Aranda on Sunday after a 24-25 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks. The defeat marked the first time the Bears had lost to Kansas since 2007 and left the team with a record of 4-3. Following the firing, first-year defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman was named interim coach of the Bears.

The coaching change comes as Baylor contends with deep-seated roster struggles beyond the top job. The Bears have battled inconsistent offensive line play, instability at quarterback, costly turnovers, and a weak pass defense. On the ground, Dawson Pendergrass leads the team with just 331 rushing yards, while starting quarterback DJ Lagway has thrown for 1,352 yards and nine touchdowns across five appearances.

Amid the vacancy, former Baylor quarterback and 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III publicly expressed interest in the head coaching position. Griffin, currently an analyst for Fox Sports, has never coached at any level of football and has not played in the NFL since 2020. With the Bears out of the playoff race and needing six wins to become bowl-eligible, the program faces decisions regarding the long-term direction of the program.

Doeren Exits Raleigh Following Stanford Loss

NC State parted ways with Dave Doeren on Friday after a 28-31 loss to Stanford concluded a 14-season tenure in Raleigh. The Wolfpack opened the season with a 3-4 record, punctuated by a 14-38 defeat to Wake Forest two weeks prior. In the wake of Doeren’s dismissal, former special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel stepped in as interim coach of the Wolfpack.

NC State’s struggles have centered on defensive deficiencies, particularly a weak run defense and too few tackles that have persisted throughout the schedule. The search for a permanent replacement has already drawn several prominent names into public discussions. Philip Rivers, who studied at NC State from 2000 to 2003 and currently serves as a high school coach at St. Michael Catholic, where he finished last season with a 13-1 record and a semifinal appearance, has emerged as a potential candidate. Rivers also has a personal connection to the program, as his son Gunner Rivers has committed to the Wolfpack for the 2027 season.

Other names linked to the NC State opening include LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield, and Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson.

Evaluating the Timeline for 2027

Both programs face a critical strategic choice regarding the speed of their coaching searches. Writing for DAZN, college football analyst Ana Gonzalez noted that while either school could technically secure a replacement within a week, neither program is under actual pressure to rush. With Baylor sitting at 4-3 and NC State at 3-4, both teams are out of the playoff race and must reach the six-win threshold to be bowl-eligible.

Gonzalez suggested that both universities would benefit from taking a deliberate approach to evaluating candidates rather than hurrying to fill the vacancy. Because both 2026 seasons are effectively lost, the primary objective for the programs is laying the groundwork for a competitive 2027 campaign.

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