Aranda adds to 2021 Football Staff

WACO, Texas – Dave Aranda has filled multiple roles on his 2021 Baylor Football staff, the second-year head coach announced Friday.

Dennis Polian joins the staff as Chief of Staff/Senior Associate AD for Football under Aranda. Polian brings more than 20 years of football experience in the college and professional ranks. He most recently served as Chief of Staff for Kevin Sumlin at Arizona from 2019-20.

After spending the 2020 season with the Carolina Panthers, James Blanchard returns to Baylor for his second stint with the Bears. He will serve as Aranda’s new Assistant AD for Football Scouting. He previously completed the 2019 season as Baylor’s Director of Scouting.

Edward Jones II will fill the newly created role of Assistant AD for Player Development. Jones held a similar role at Kansas from 2019-20, following three seasons at his alma mater Houston.

Baylor Football’s new Director of Athletic Performance Vic Viloria has added three to his staff, all with LSU ties. Lance Barilow, who worked with Viloria at LSU from 2018-19, will serve as senior associate director of athletics performance. Barilow spent the 2020 season as associate director of strength and conditioning at Kansas.

Also joining the athletic performance staff are associate director of athletics performance Tim Johnson and athletics performance coach Matt List. Johnson, who was on staff at LSU from 2018-20, and List, formerly of New Mexico State, spent time on the LSU staff in 2019.

Former Texas Tech All-American Aaron Hunt joins the Baylor staff as a recruiting and personnel assistant.  He played under Aranda with the Red Raiders from 2000-02 before going onto a nine-year career in professional football.

Additionally, Matt Mitchell has been added as a quality control staffer on offense. He spent the 2020 season as a graduate assistant at BYU under new Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. He has also had stints at Snow (Utah) College, Western Kentucky and Notre Dame.