Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on Thursday that former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is in Baton Rouge and that LSU is working to add him in an analyst-type, off-field role, though the move has not been officially confirmed.
- Aranda previously served as LSU’s defensive coordinator from 2016 to 2019 and helped lead the Tigers’ defense during the 2019 national championship season.
- After leaving LSU, Aranda spent seven seasons as Baylor’s head coach, compiling a 40-40 record and winning the 2021 Big 12 title before Baylor fired him following a loss to Kansas earlier this season.
- Reports note Aranda signed a reported contract extension with Baylor in 2022 worth roughly $37 million with an estimated buyout near $12 million, details that shape the financial and practical backdrop of his departure and potential return in a lower-paying, off-field role.
- The timing—days before LSU’s game with Alabama—likely limits any immediate tactical edge, but the move could affect staffing decisions this offseason by giving LSU rapid internal succession for defensive coordinator if Blake Baker draws outside interest.