Baylor plans to hire Kansas State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman as its next defensive coordinator; ESPN’s Pete Thamel first broke the news.
Klanderman will try to retool a Baylor defense that was toward the bottom of the Big 12 in every category, allowing 32.6 points per game, 197.2 rushing yards per game, 194.9 passing yards per game and an opponent third-down conversion rate of 41%. Baylor was dead last in the conference in fumbles recovered (2) and sacks (12).
Over the last four seasons, Klanderman’s defenses at Kansas State have ranked 41st (2025), 24th (2024), 24th (2023) and 19th (2022), according to ESPN’s F+ metric; the Wildcats won the Big 12 title in 2022.
Klanderman spent the last six seasons as Kansas State’s defensive coordinator under recently retired head coach Chris Klieman. Before that, Klanderman spent one season as Kansas State’s safeties coach (2019).
Prior to his time in Manhattan, Klanderman spent five seasons as the defensive backs coach at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, also under Klieman, where he won four national titles.
Klanderman started his coaching career at Minnesota State after spending five seasons with the Mavericks as a defensive lineman from 1997 to 2001.
Although Klanderman will technically be replacing former defensive coordinator Matthew Powledge, who took the DC job at North Texas earlier this week, it was head coach Dave Aranda who called plays for the Bears’ defense each of the past two seasons.
Aranda is now expected to hand off the play-calling duties to Klanderman as Baylor looks to revamp that side of the ball.
Big12Fan2024 said:
Background suggests a good hire particularly given our circumstances.
Dia del DougO said:BellCountyBear said:
The big question will be whether Aranda will stay the **** out of the way and let him coach how he wants. Even cussing.
Really his only hope for staying on past next season.
Let somebody else control defense.
Let somebody else control offense.
Let somebody else make in-game decisions.
The last one is the hang-up.
Ewalker80 said:Dia del DougO said:BellCountyBear said:
The big question will be whether Aranda will stay the **** out of the way and let him coach how he wants. Even cussing.
Really his only hope for staying on past next season.
Let somebody else control defense.
Let somebody else control offense.
Let somebody else make in-game decisions.
The last one is the hang-up.
(2) is already happening. (1) will 100% happen next year. if he doesn't do (3) he can't call himself the head coach. Dave makes basically all in-game decisions (e.g., going on 4th down, going for 2) based on analytics anyway, and that's not really the problem. When your defense sucks every in-game decision is the wrong one.
— Logan Bartley (@logjbart) December 11, 2025
Kansas State Defensive Performance per Massey under Joe Klanderman.
— Grayson Grundhoefer (@GrayGrundhoefer) December 11, 2025
2020 - 43rd
2021 - 13th
2022 - 13th
2023 - 15th
2024 - 24th
2025 - 42nd
PartyBear said:Ewalker80 said:Dia del DougO said:BellCountyBear said:
The big question will be whether Aranda will stay the **** out of the way and let him coach how he wants. Even cussing.
Really his only hope for staying on past next season.
Let somebody else control defense.
Let somebody else control offense.
Let somebody else make in-game decisions.
The last one is the hang-up.
(2) is already happening. (1) will 100% happen next year. if he doesn't do (3) he can't call himself the head coach. Dave makes basically all in-game decisions (e.g., going on 4th down, going for 2) based on analytics anyway, and that's not really the problem. When your defense sucks every in-game decision is the wrong one.
Y'all are being ridiculous. By this standard no HC is a HC unless they are also one of their own coordinators, which generally is a bad idea and hence why that isn't customary. He will make in game decisions. Some he will make in collaboration with the staff, hence why HCs have a staff.
Cove Dawg said:
Run away and don't look back Klanderman, as long as Aranda is in town you are in a no win situation.
Dia del DougO said:blackie said:dycbaylor02 said:
Just absolutely sucks we're in a lame duck session. Such a waste of time.
When are you guys going to understand that it is only a lame duck season if there has been a term limit set. That has not been the case. Nothing in the official statements has indicated there is. The chance that CDA is still here in 2027 is not zero. I think we need to understand and be prepared for that. They want Aranda to work. I don't have a dog in the hunt one way or another with CDA. I just want to win and have a program worthy of respect.. If that is without DA great....if it is with DA great.
This is the way I see it. I don't think DM is here to fire an existing coach that hasn't yet had a season under his watch. After kickoff 2026 it's his call, unless he gets vetoed (which could be a possibility).
Baylor really wants Aranda to work. He has this chance to convince the majority he's worth keeping past 2026.
Dia del DougO said:
I just wonder, under the circumstances, who were the real forces behind the hire. Who reached out to who, and how many had to agree before making the selection. Normally the head coach probably gets the guy he wants. But we've been through that before. Often, it is a guy they have worked with before. Don't see any connection there.
I would love to believe Baylor is bringing in a guy they think has head coach potential, and can be closely followed and vetted over the next year. I'd like to think their interest in Mo Linguist was that as well, but they may not have had been able to pay him enough to get him out of Bama. But that's just because that's what I would try to do, get upside coaches on board that may end up in larger roles. Don't know how realistic that might be.
It is a bit of an unusual situation.
Quote:
Klanderman started his coaching career at Minnesota State after spending five seasons as a defensive lineman from 1997 to 2001.
Booboo Bear said:Quote:
Klanderman started his coaching career at Minnesota State after spending five seasons as a defensive lineman from 1997 to 2001.
So does this mean Klanderman played under the great Coach Hayden Fox??
Impressive!
