LSU is working to add former Baylor coach Dave Aranda in an analyst-type role, sources tell CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. Aranda was fired from Baylor on Oct. 25 after seven years with the program.
Before taking his first head coaching job, Aranda helped lead LSU to a 2019 national championship as a standout defensive coordinator. He was the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the country during his time in Baton Rouge from 2016-19, and produced five straight top-10 defenses from 2013-16 at Wisconsin and LSU.
The Tigers already rank as one of the top defenses in college football under Blake Baker, recording a No. 4 national defense and giving up only 4.3 yards per play. They gave up 17 combined points against Mississippi State and Auburn the past two weeks. However, Aranda brings another set of eyes as he gets to focus on pure schematics for the first time in years.
He is especially known for his creativity with linebackers, especially while generating pressure. LSU has one of the most versatile linebacker corps in the country with TJ Dottery and Davhon Keys, plus captain Whit Weeks set to return from injury soon.
Aranda posted an inconsistent tenure in Waco, finishing 40-40. He led the Bears to their first-ever AP top-5 finish in 2021, with a Big 12 title and a Sugar Bowl victory, but failed to sustain the momentum. He finished with four losing campaigns in six full seasons with the program.
