Dave Aranda went hat-in-hand to the Baylor brass with a proposal following the season-ending loss to West Virginia. He’d move back to a familiar role as defensive play-caller, hire an offensive coordinator with head coach experience and an innovative, exciting offense, and push for more investment in the NIL world to attract better Transfer Portal talent to Waco ahead of an all-important 2024 campaign.
Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades and the powers that be agreed and Aranda went to work. He hired Cal offensive coordinator and former Texas State head coach Jake Spavital to run Spav’s version of the Air-Raid offense he curated with mentor Kliff Kingsbury. Aranda also retreated to his mad scientist persona to fix a Bears defense that allowed more than 30 points per game in 2023.