LSU Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda Reportedly Accepts Head Coaching Job at Baylor

Just days after reaching college football's mountaintop as associate head coach and defensive coordinator of the national champion LSU Tigers, Dave Aranda will reap his reward -- and it's not just a gaudy ring.

Aranda, who has held his position in Baton Rouge since 2016, is reportedly succeeding Matt Rhule as head coach at Baylor University.

Having held his position under Ed Orgeron in Baton Rouge since 2016, which also included coaching the Bayou Bengals' linebackers, the 43-year-old now becomes a head coach for the first time.

A two-time Broyles Award nominee for the nation's top assistant coach, Aranda brings experience from all over the country. A well-traveled defensive operator, he was previously coordinator at Southern Utah, Hawaii, Utah State, and Wisconsin after serving a stint as a linebackers coach at Houston.

This season, Aranda's unit ranked 31st in FBS in total defense and 32nd in scoring defense. Those numbers won't knock your socks off, but it must be said that they consistently did enough to take care of business despite an incredibly tough schedule -- a 15-0 record and a national title fairly speaks for itself.

Now, it's on to Waco, where the cupboard is far from bare.