Dave Aranda
David Christopher Aranda (born September 29, 1976) is an American football coach. he is the head football coach at Baylor University, a position he has held since 2020. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at LSU, Wisconsin, Utah State, Hawaii, Delta State, and Cal Lutheran. Early life Born in Southern California to Mexican immigrant parents from Guadalajara, Aranda graduated from Redlands High School in Redlands, California in 1994, where he was a linebacker. Coaching career Early coaching career After high school, Aranda retired from playing football due to injuries, so he became an assistant coach at Redlands High in 1995. He tried to join the U.S. Navy, but his football injuries—specifically the aftereffects of a shoulder fracture he had suffered in high school—caused him to fail the physical. While coaching at his old high school, he also worked night shifts as a security guard. During this time, Aranda visited a friend who was attending California Lutheran University, and soon enrolled there in an attempt to return to play. While his injuries made it impossible for him to play, he got an opportunity to become a student assistant while an undergraduate, serving as linebackers coach for the Kingsmen from 1996