Baylor Football Coaching Staff

Dave Aranda

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.

Jake Spavital

Matthew Powledge

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).

Vic Viloria

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.