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WACO, Texas — The Baylor Bears are expected to interview Robert Griffin III for their head football coaching job, Field Level Media reported Friday. On3’s Pete Nakos first reported the expected interview, citing sources. Baylor has not announced a hire.
Griffin, 36, won the Heisman Trophy at Baylor in 2011 and now works as a college football analyst for Fox Sports. He has never coached at the college or NFL level.
The job opened Oct. 25, when Baylor fired Dave Aranda the day after a 25-24 loss at the Kansas Jayhawks. Aranda went 40-40 over seven seasons in Waco, and the Bears were 4-3 when he was let go. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, who joined the staff before this season, was named interim head coach for the rest of 2026.
Baylor has won both of its games under Klanderman. The Bears beat the UCF Knights 41-9 in Orlando on Oct. 30, then rallied past the Iowa State Cyclones 42-31 in their homecoming game at McLane Stadium on Nov. 7 to clinch bowl eligibility. They are 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12.
Robert Griffin III Has Pushed For The Job Since October
Griffin first spoke about the opening on Oct. 26, one day after the firing, during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.” He said he had already talked with Baylor vice president and athletic director Doug McNamee about the job.
When Patrick raised whether he wanted the position, Griffin answered, “Yes, 100%,” and said Baylor needs “people who know what it looks like to win at Baylor.”
McNamee took over Baylor’s athletic department last December, replacing Mack Rhoades, and this season was his first full evaluation of Aranda. On Oct. 26, McNamee sent a letter addressed to the “Baylor Family” that outlined the search for the next head coach.
On Oct. 31, the day after the win at UCF, Griffin told Front Office Sports Tonight that he had held conversations with the school but would keep them private out of respect for the coaches now leading the team.
“If I was making all the decisions, the decision would have already been made, right?” Griffin said.
In the same interview, Griffin said prior coaching experience no longer decides who succeeds in college and that the modern job is “about being a CEO” who manages pressure and builds a winning culture. He listed what Baylor wants in its next coach, including Texas roots, the ability to recruit the state, and support for the university’s Christian mission, and said he meets each one.
During the same Oct. 26 appearance, Griffin also named UTSA coach Jeff Traylor and Boise State coach Spencer Danielson as coaches he would back for the job, SI’s College Football HQ reported.
Griffin’s Playing Career And Baylor’s Remaining Schedule
Before Baylor, Griffin starred at Copperas Cove High School in Central Texas. He played for the Bears from 2008 to 2011. In his Heisman season, he passed for 4,293 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, and Baylor finished 10-3.
The franchise now known as the Washington Commanders drafted Griffin second overall in 2012, and he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Across 56 games and 42 starts with Washington, the Cleveland Browns, and the Baltimore Ravens, he threw for 9,271 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions. His final NFL season was 2020.
On Friday, the NC State Wolfpack confirmed the hiring of former Wolfpack quarterback Philip Rivers as head coach. Rivers had never coached in college and has spent the past six years as head coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama.
Baylor plays at the BYU Cougars on Saturday in Provo, Utah. The Bears host the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Nov. 21 and close the regular season at the Houston Cougars on Nov. 28.
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