Baylor Football Coaching Staff

Dave Aranda

Head Coach

Aranda (uh-RAN-duh) came to Waco after four seasons as associate head coach and defensive coordinator at LSU, including a 2020 National Championship and a 2019 SEC Championship. Widely considered one of the top defensive minds in football, Aranda has a track record of producing NFL-ready players.

In just his second season in Waco, Aranda led Baylor to a third Big 12 Championship and the biggest bowl win in program history, a 21-7 Sugar Bowl victory over Ole Miss. The win was Baylor’s first BCS/New Year’s Six bowl win in the modern era.

The Bears also won 12 games for the first time in program history, despite being picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 preseason media poll. BU finished the season ranked No. 5 nationally, the highest final ranking in program history.

Following the season’s success, Aranda was named the 2021 George Munger Coach of the Year and was a 2021 Coach of the Year finalist for three separate awards, including the Bear Bryant Award, Dodd Trophy and Eddie Robinson Award. He also received Big 12 Coach of the Year honors from the Associated Press.

In 2021, Aranda’s Bears tied for the best turnaround in college football, boasting a ten-win improvement from the previous year, including a school-record five wins against ranked opponents.

The turnaround was spurred by complementary football, spearheaded by a defense that held every opponent to 30-points or fewer, one of just three teams in the country to accomplish the feat. Under the direction of Aranda and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, the defense punctuated their dominant season with an Allstate Sugar Bowl-record 10-sacks, while linebacker Terrel Bernard tied a Sugar Bowl record with 20 tackles. On average, the BU defense held opponents 13.2 points per game below their season average.

Under the guidance of Aranda and first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, Baylor’s offense ranked 10th nationally with 5.37 yards per rush. BU increased its rushing production by 142% from 2020, raising its rushing average from 90.3 yards per game (123rd nationally) to 219.3 yards per game (10th nationally). Additionally, Baylor ranked inside the nation’s top-15 in fewest sacks allowed. Baylor running back Abram Smith also set program records with nine 100-yard rushing games in a single season along with the single-season rushing record (1,601).

In 2021, Baylor had seven players named to the All-Big 12 first- and second-teams, including four individual award winners in Jalen Pitre (Defensive Player of the Year), Trestan Ebner (Special Teams Player of the Year), Connor Galvin (Offensive Lineman of the Year) and Siaki Ika (Defensive Newcomer of the Year). Additionally, Pitre was one of three finalists for the 2021 Jim Thorpe Award, honoring the nation’s top defensive back.

Three different Bears earned seven All-America honors from the five publications that make up the NCAA’s consensus teams, highlighted by Pitre’s four first-team accolades and one second-team recognition. Jacob Gall (second-team) and Galvin (third-team) were also recognized.

In his first season at Baylor, Aranda’s program featured his first player earning All-America honors, with Trestan Ebner being selected to four different All-America teams. Additionally, Ebner was named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year, and nine players were selected to the All-Big 12 team highlighted by first-team defensive back Jalen Pitre.

Jeff Grimes

Off. Coordinator & TE

Jeff Grimes serves as Baylor’s offensive coordinator and tight end coach. He joined Dave Aranda’s staff in January 2021. A 29-year coaching veteran, Grimes made an instant splash in Waco as he was one of five assistant coaches up for the Frank Broyles Award, which honors the nation’s top assistant, for a second-straight season.

In 2021 Grimes, a native of Garland, Texas, brought his “RVO” philosophy to Waco. The “Reliable Violent Offense” is an attacking, multiple-formation offense that runs a few plays in many ways with as much misdirection as any team in the country.

Under his guidance, the Bears’ offense ranked 10th nationally with 5.37 yards per rush and 30th nationally with 6.32 yards per play. BU increased its rushing production by 129 yards per game over the 2020 season, raising its rushing average from 90.3 yards per game (123rd nationally) to 219.3 yards per game (10th nationally).

Grimes also helped Baylor senior running back Abram Smith to a monster senior year, ranking among the nation’s best in yards per carry (14th, 6.23), total rushing (5th, 1,601), and rushing touchdowns (tied for 39th, 12). Ben Sims (361 yards, 6 TDs) and Tyquan Thornton (948 yards, 10 TDs) each had career years for the Bears as well.

Offensive Lineman Connor Galvin was named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. Smith and Sims made their way onto the All-Big 12 Second Team, while Gerry Bohanon (QB), Jacob Gall (OL), Xavier Newman-Johnson (OL), Sims (TE) and R.J. Sneed (WR) made All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

Matthew Powledge

Defensive Coordinator

Matt Powledge – who spent the 2022 season as the co-defensive coordinator at Oregon following two years as the safeties and special teams coordinator at Baylor – has been named the defensive coordinator for the Bears, it was announced on Dec. 29, 2022. Powledge rejoins the Baylor coaching staff following a season as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon in 2022. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on Aranda’s staff in Waco, following two-year stints at Louisiana-Lafayette (2018-19), ULM (2016-17) and Sam Houston (2014-15). He opened his coaching career at Kentucky (2013), Northwestern State (2012) and Southeastern Louisiana (2010-11) after playing fullback for his hometown Sam Houston (2005-09).

Shawn Bell

Quarterbacks

Former Baylor great Shawn Bell joined the football staff in December 2016. After serving as an offensive analyst in 2017, he was elevated to offensive line coach in March 2018. He moved to tight ends under new head coach Dave Aranda in January 2020. The former record-setting Baylor quarterback returned to his alma mater following 10 seasons on the sidelines at the high school level, the last eight as head coach at Cedar Ridge, Magnolia West and Clifton.

Eric Mateos

Offensive Line

Eric Mateos joined the Baylor Football staff in January 2021. He serves as offensive line coach. A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Mateos joins Baylor following two successful seasons at BYU from 2019-20. Mateos spent two seasons from 2017-18 as the offensive line coach at Texas State, and prior to that he served as the tight ends coach at LSU under Jeff Grimes. He also spent time on Bret Bielema and Sam Pittman’s staff at Arkansas from 2013-15. He began his coaching career as an assistant offensive line coach at Southwest Baptist in 2011 before serving a one-year stint in 2012 as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Hutchinson Community College.

Dennis Johnson

Defensive Line

Dennis Johnson joined head coach Dave Aranda's football staff in January 2020. He serves as defensive line coach. Johnson, a LSU graduate and member of the school’s 2011 Southeastern Conference Championship team, comes to Waco following a 2019 season spent as an analyst at LSU. He served from 2016-18 as a full-time coach, first with the outside linebackers (2016-17) before moving to defensive line (2018). He moved off the field in 2019 for medical reasons. Johnson is also a talented recruiter with an innate ability to land big-time recruits. He has played a pivotal role in LSU’s last three signing classes that ranked No. 5 (2019), No. 15 (2018) and No. 7 (2017) nationally.

Christian Robinson

Inside Linebackers

One of the top young defensive minds in college football, Christian Robinson has been tabbed to coach Baylor’s inside linebackers, it was announced on Dec. 30, 2022. Robinson joins the Baylor staff after coaching linebackers at Auburn during the 2022 season, following four seasons in the same position at Florida. He also served as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State (2017), Ole Miss (2015-16) and Georgia (2013-14). Robinson played linebacker at Georgia from 2009-12. A native of Norcross, Ga., Robinson was named to the American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35 listing in 2022, highlighting some of the nation’s best up-and-coming coaches under 35.

Caleb Collins

Outside Linebackers

Caleb Collins joined the Baylor Family in June 2020. He worked as a quality control coach on defense for his first season, then was promoted to an on-field role as assistant coach for outside linebackers in November 2021. He joined Dave Aranda’s Baylor staff following three seasons at LSU in a similar capacity. He served as a graduate assistant on defense during the 2018 season working under Aranda with the inside linebackers. He was promoted to the role of analyst for the 2019 season as LSU won a National Championship. A native of Houston, Collins played linebacker at Southeastern Louisiana from 2012-16 under current Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts.

Kevin Curtis

Cornerbacks

Kevin Curtis joined the Baylor Football staff in February 2021. He serves as cornerbacks coach. Curtis, who played safety at Texas Tech while Baylor head coach Dave Aranda was a member of the Red Raider coaching staff from 2000-01, joined the SMU program as cornerbacks coach in January 2018 after two seasons in the same capacity at Louisiana Tech. From 2013-15, he mentored defensive backs at his alma mater Texas Tech, and prior to that was his first stint at Louisiana Tech (2010-12) and two seasons (2008-09) at Navarro Junior College.

Vic Viloria

Director of Athletic Performance

Viloria spent three seasons at LSU under head strength coach Tommy Moffit from 2018-2020 after a one single season with his alma mater SMU in 2017. Prior to his time at LSU and SMU, Viloria worked as the head strength and conditioning coach under the direction of Jimbo Fisher at Florida State from 2010-2017 where he helped the program to multiple ACC titles and a national championship in 2013.