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Baylor Football

BREAKING: DC Ron Roberts, Safeties Coach Ronnie Wheat out at Baylor

December 1, 2022
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Baylor Defensive Coordinator Ron Roberts and Safeties and Special Teams Coach Ronnie Wheat are no longer with the program, SicEm365 has learned through multiple sources. Baylor officials have not confirmed the news at the time of this report.

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Roberts, also the inside linebackers coach, joined Dave Aranda at Baylor for 2020 following after two seasons as the Defensive Coordinator at Louisiana. Roberts’ 2021 Baylor defense led the Bears to a 12-win season and a Big 12 Championship, leading the conference in interceptions (19), turnovers gained (27), turnover margin (0.93) and defensive touchdowns (3). 

Wheat spent a single season at Baylor after joining the program in the 2022 offseason. Wheat replaced Matt Powledge who left for Oregon as the co-Defensive Coordinator.  Wheat came to Waco to join Aranda’s staff after two seasons as a full-time assistant at the University of Nevada.

The moves are on the heels of Baylor’s 6-6 campaign in 2022, a season which the the Bears were picked to win the league by the media.  

 

Discussion from...

BREAKING: DC Ron Roberts, Safeties Coach Ronnie Wheat out at Baylor

36,878 Views | 99 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by IowaBear
CTbruin
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4:12p, 12/1/22
I guess ole CT was right in pointing out repeatedly our defense needed fixin'
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Hob Howelll
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4:12p, 12/1/22
I thought Wheat was a bit of a stretch when Aranda hired him. Just didn't think his resume was that impressive. Roberts surprises me a little bit because we were pretty darn good last year and he is friends with Aranda, but there really isn't any reason our defense should have regressed as much as it did with the defensive line talent that we have
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JP1037
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4:14p, 12/1/22
Boy, I still feel like our offense was the bigger problem.
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CTbruin
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In reply to JP1037 • 4:16p, 12/1/22
JP1037 said:
Boy, I still feel like our offense was the bigger problem.


Look at the stats. Our defense took a big step back. If we could make the other team punt, we would have beat TCU and the cows
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Hob Howelll
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In reply to CTbruin • 4:19p, 12/1/22
CTbruin said:
JP1037 said:
Boy, I still feel like our offense was the bigger problem.


Look at the stats. Our defense took a big step back. If we could make the other team punt, we would have beat TCU and the cows


It felt to me like we kept things very vanilla all year. I was waiting for us to break out the advanced schemes and disguised blitzes but we seemed to rush three a lot all year
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parch
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In reply to JP1037 • 4:23p, 12/1/22
JP1037 said:
Boy, I still feel like our offense was the bigger problem.
It definitely wasn't in 2022. The average wins among P5 teams who scored at our PPG was 8.4. The average wins of P5 teams who surrendered our average PA was 5.5. So we outperformed our defense by virtue of our offense.

Aranda's been extremely decisive on assistant moves, which has worked out pretty well so far. The ST move was a no-brainer, Power underperformed, our return teams were meh and our K situation to start the year was a nightmare, who knows why Hankins started over Mayer, a move that might've cost us the BYU game.

Not as sure what to think about Roberts, but Aranda is always going to have a short leash there and we were massively regressive in most areas and had the talent to be much better. Have to think he can dial in a DC much better now that he's been in the job 3 seasons and has a couple classes under him.
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DanaDane
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4:23p, 12/1/22
Yeah, secondary guy was fired because he was just inept.


Nah, don't believe Aranda got rid of his guy Roberts just because of 1 bad year. There's more to this story than is being told.
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parch
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In reply to DanaDane • 4:28p, 12/1/22
It does seem weird. Our defense was 5th overall in the Big 12, not hardly good enough but not Titanic bad either. Especially considering our season last year it makes you think there's more to the story than we'll know.
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DanaDane
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In reply to parch • 4:29p, 12/1/22
Yeah, this fails the smell test.
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jbw_sicem4413
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4:30p, 12/1/22
Guessing Jedi has a big upgrade in mind
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dstaylor57
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4:32p, 12/1/22
Maybe bring powledge back as dc and st?
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BUGWBBear
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4:35p, 12/1/22
I can agree. Why is Grimes keeping his job?
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PartyBear
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In reply to dstaylor57 • 4:36p, 12/1/22
dstaylor57 said:
Maybe bring powledge back as dc and st?
Wondered about that.
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bear2be2
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4:36p, 12/1/22
This is disconcerting IMO. Roberts didn't go from being a good DC last year to a bad one this year. If our answer after every disappointing season is to fire a coordinator, we're likely going to have a lot more disappointing seasons.

Fedora's firing in 2020 was well earned. This looks like a scapegoat situation from afar.
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PartyBear
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In reply to BUGWBBear • 4:37p, 12/1/22
BUGWBBear said:
I can agree. Why is Grimes keeping his job?
Do you know for sure he is?
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boognish_bear
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4:39p, 12/1/22
Aranda is clearly not spending enough time in our forums… Otherwise he would have known to fire Grimes and not Roberts.

(I am kidding… I don't really want Grimes fired)
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IowaBear
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4:39p, 12/1/22
Give Jim Leonhard a blank check! He's the truth
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PartyBear
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In reply to boognish_bear • 4:40p, 12/1/22
boognish_bear said:
Aranda is clearly not spending enough time in our forums… Otherwise he would have known to fire Grimes and not Roberts.

(I am kidding… I don't really want Grimes fired)
I'm not saying I want him fired. I'm just saying how do we not know that isnt going to be coming tomorrow or whenever?
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jumpinjoe
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In reply to jbw_sicem4413 • 4:45p, 12/1/22
Maybe someone just became available that is a major upgrade to the position that has not yet become public, and Aranda is clearing the spot before announcing the hire.
Joined BaylorFans in 1999 under username jumpinjoe. Have always been Jumpinjoe. Proud 4 Year Baylor letterman and 1968 graduate and charter member of Quartermiler U, produced school record in 400 IH.
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BUmoneymaker
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4:55p, 12/1/22
Gary Patterson isn't even allow to call plays at UT.... wouldn't that be a kick in the NUUUTSAK if he was announced! lol the irony

"I hope" -Red

"Apply yourself" -W.White

"Guys, who is Keyser Soze?" - K. Soze

"Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." -J.L. Picard
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Hob Howelll
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In reply to PartyBear • 4:57p, 12/1/22
PartyBear said:
dstaylor57 said:
Maybe bring powledge back as dc and st?
Wondered about that.


Honestly seems like a downgrade just on paper. Maybe aranda just starts calling plays himself or what not. Not sure if that is even an option for him
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blairbear
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4:58p, 12/1/22
Jim Leonard spent a year after retiring from the NFL with Dave Aranda who was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin at that time. 2015. He and Aranda watched film and diagnosed how to defend college offenses. Leonard was hired as defensive backs coach at Wisconsin in Feb. 2016. Now considered by many to be one of the top five defensive coordinators in college football. I agree with Iowa bear that this should be the top choice and the timing of all of this has me thinking that Aranda has spoken with Leonard.
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Hob Howelll
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4:59p, 12/1/22
You don't can one of your friends/mentors after one mediocre year just because some upgrade is available unless it's literally Wade Phillips or something crazy like that. I just don't buy. More likely it's philosophical disagreements or he said something that he shouldn't have said or something along those lines.
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Hob Howelll
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5:04p, 12/1/22
Leonard would be a home run. Wisconsin has had some very good units the last couple years. I believe they had the number three defense last year per the advanced stats.
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gturner3312
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5:15p, 12/1/22
I have a feeling that Coach Aranda is not done with staff changes,
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Fre3dombear
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In reply to DanaDane • 5:16p, 12/1/22
DanaDane said:
Yeah, secondary guy was fired because he was just inept.


Nah, don't believe Aranda got rid of his guy Roberts just because of 1 bad year. There's more to this story than is being told.


Wow. No kidding. I wonder what's going on

Now we in total disarray

Chaos. Gird one's loins
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Fre3dombear
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In reply to jbw_sicem4413 • 5:16p, 12/1/22
jbw_sicem4413 said:
Guessing Jedi has a big upgrade in mind


Patterson coming
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bear2be2
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In reply to Fre3dombear • 5:18p, 12/1/22
Fre3dombear said:
DanaDane said:
Yeah, secondary guy was fired because he was just inept.


Nah, don't believe Aranda got rid of his guy Roberts just because of 1 bad year. There's more to this story than is being told.


Wow. No kidding. I wonder what's going on

Now we in total disarray

Chaos. Gird one's loins
It kind of seems this way. We don't have the feel of a steady ship right now.
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bear2be2
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In reply to Fre3dombear • 5:19p, 12/1/22
Fre3dombear said:
jbw_sicem4413 said:
Guessing Jedi has a big upgrade in mind


Patterson coming
I doubt it. He and Aranda have very different defensive philosophies.

Leonard would make some sense, though.
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Karab
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In reply to blairbear • 5:21p, 12/1/22
blairbear said:
Jim Leonard spent a year after retiring from the NFL with Dave Aranda who was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin at that time. 2015. He and Aranda watched film and diagnosed how to defend college offenses. Leonard was hired as defensive backs coach at Wisconsin in Feb. 2016. Now considered by many to be one of the top five defensive coordinators in college football. I agree with Iowa bear that this should be the top choice and the timing of all of this has me thinking that Aranda has spoken with Leonard.

Leonard would be stupid to take another DC job
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Hob Howelll
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5:22p, 12/1/22
Well I'm pretty sure fickell is bringing in his guy so he's very likely out of a job. Of course we will have to open up the checkbook to get him as he has a very solid resume
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PaperBear89
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5:23p, 12/1/22
My guess is that after this year, Aranda realized just how quickly the iron to be struck can cool down.

The dude is a long-term thinker and a cold-blooded killer, if you haven't figured that out yet.

Plan is to get a top-level DC in here with the lure that it would be a great path to an HC gig (maybe even here) and then CDA will not pass up the opportunities when his star rises again.
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bear2be2
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In reply to Karab • 5:26p, 12/1/22
Karab said:
blairbear said:
Jim Leonard spent a year after retiring from the NFL with Dave Aranda who was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin at that time. 2015. He and Aranda watched film and diagnosed how to defend college offenses. Leonard was hired as defensive backs coach at Wisconsin in Feb. 2016. Now considered by many to be one of the top five defensive coordinators in college football. I agree with Iowa bear that this should be the top choice and the timing of all of this has me thinking that Aranda has spoken with Leonard.

Leonard would be stupid to take another DC job
What head coaching job is he getting this time around? Wisconsin was his best opportunity and they went another direction.
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bear2be2
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In reply to PaperBear89 • 5:28p, 12/1/22
PaperBear89 said:
My guess is that after this year, Aranda realized just how quickly the iron to be struck can cool down.

The dude is a long-term thinker and a cold-blooded killer, if you haven't figured that out yet.

Plan is to get a top-level DC in here with the lure that it would be a great path to an HC gig (maybe even here) and then CDA will not pass up the opportunities when his star rises again.
I think we may give Aranda more credit than he's earned at this point as a head coach/program adminstrator. Last season was awesome, but the two around it were pretty dismal compared to expectations. And we're turning over the staff for the second time in three years. I like Aranda as a person and hope he's the genius everyone else thinks he is. But the next two years are going to be very important in determining the trajectory of our program.
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boognish_bear
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In reply to Hob Howelll • 5:41p, 12/1/22
The Hound said:
PartyBear said:
dstaylor57 said:
Maybe bring powledge back as dc and st?
Wondered about that.


Honestly seems like a downgrade just on paper. Maybe aranda just starts calling plays himself or what not. Not sure if that is even an option for him


Didn't Herman take over OC duties at UT toward the end of his run?
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