Baylor football dropped a bombshell, firing coach Dave Aranda last Sunday after seven seasons, and guess who’s already circling the wagons for the top job? None other than program legend Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner himself, has put his name in the hat. RGIII, an eight-year NFL quarterback, says he’s already had conversations with the school and is gunning for more concrete talks.
RGIII’s Playbook For The Top Job
RGIII isn’t holding back, basically saying if it were up to him, the decision would already be made. “If I was making all the decisions, the decision would have already been made, right?” Griffin told Front Office Sports Tonight. He’s itching to go through the process, ready for those “real, concrete conversations” with Baylor. While he’s keeping the details private for now, out of respect for the current coaches and the whole head coaching carousel, his intentions are crystal clear.
Griffin is pushing back on the old-school idea that you need years of coaching experience to lead a college program. He argues the game has changed, big time. It’s not about who calls the plays anymore, he says. It’s about being a CEO, handling the pressure, and building a winning culture. And who better to do that at Baylor than someone who knows exactly “what it looks like to win at Baylor?” RGIII ticked all the boxes he believes they’re looking for: “Texas roots. Check. Someone that can recruit those Texas roots. Check. Somebody that can help further their Christian mission at Baylor University. Check.” He sounds ready to roll!
The Experience Question: A Real Stumbling Block?
Now, there’s one big “knock” on Griffin’s potential candidacy: he doesn’t have any prior coaching experience at the collegiate or professional level. We all know the pipeline from zero experience straight to a head coaching gig is super rare. You see guys like Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who started at FCS program Jackson State in 2020 without collegiate experience, but he had a background in high school coaching. Other former NFL players like DeSean Jackson at Delaware State and Michael Vick at Norfolk State also started in FCS without prior college experience, but had some high school roles too. Weber State coach Eric Kjar was a seven-time high school state champion before jumping to college.
But here’s the kicker: right now, there are zero FBS coaches who got hired without any collegiate *or* professional coaching experience. That’s a massive hurdle, and it really puts RGIII’s aspirations in a unique spotlight. Baylor’s not messing around either; they went 40-40 under Aranda, who was hired in 2020, with only one bowl win to show for it. The program is clearly investing, dropping $144.1 million in 2025 (sixth in the conference) and completing two eight-figure projects in 2024 for McLane Stadium and the Fudge Football Development Center. There’s a lot on the line for the next coach at a place where Griffin has a statue honoring him outside the stadium!
RGIII has made it clear he’ll support Baylor no matter what, but he absolutely feels he has the necessary traits to lead. The ball’s in Baylor’s court now. What kind of leader do they want for their next chapter? One thing’s for sure, if RGIII gets this job, it would shake up the college football coaching world in a way nobody’s seen before.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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