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Baylor Football: 3 reasons Dave Aranda was perfect hire for the Bears

By Michael Hanich

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 11: Dave Aranda of the LSU Tigers attends media day for the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 11, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 11: Dave Aranda of the LSU Tigers attends media day for the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 11, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 15: The Auburn Tigers offense lines up against the LSU Tigers defense at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 15: The Auburn Tigers offense lines up against the LSU Tigers defense at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

3. Track record proves his success as a builder of solid teams

Dave Aranda has been mostly a defensive coordinator in his career starting at Cal Lutheran from 2005-06. The real start of his impressive defensive coaching career is in 2012 when he was defensive coordinator of the Utah State Aggies. That year, the Aggies won the Western Athletic Conference with an 11-2 record. His defense was ranked seventh in the nation in scoring (15.4 points allowed per game) and only allowed more than 20 points twice.

In 2013, Aranda was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Wisconsin Badgers by head coach Gary Andersen, who was his coach at Utah State the season before.

From 2013-15, Aranda was coaching a very efficient and stout Wisconsin Badgers defense. In his first year at Wisconsin, the Badgers’ defense ranked sixth in scoring defense (16.3 points allowed per game), seventh in total defense (305.1 total yards allowed per game), and fifth in rushing defense (102.5 rushing yards allowed per game).

The following season in 2014, the Badgers finished their season with an 11-3 record. Their defense, who lost many playmakers from the previous season, was ranked 17th in scoring defense (20.8 points allowed per game). In his last season at Wisconsin, the Badgers finished out the season with the top-ranked scoring defense in the nation (13.7 points allowed per game).

Aranda was hired by the LSU Tigers in 2016 where they finished the season with the fifth-ranked scoring defense (15.8 points allowed per game). The next two seasons in 2017 and 2018 were seasons where the Tigers’ defense was the most efficient unit on the team while the offense struggled.

This past season, the defense encountered significant structural problems including injuries and inconsistent performances. Through the first ten games of the season, the defense allowed an average of 23.8 points per game.

On the final five games for LSU, which includes the SEC Championship against Georgia and two playoff games against Oklahoma and Clemson, they allowed only 18 points per game. Aranda’s defense was able to hold a Sooners’ offense, led by Jalen Hurts, to 28 points and suffocated Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the national title game.

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