What is Dave Aranda’s Net Worth in 2025? Salary, Contract & Career Earnings of Baylor HC

Dave Aranda’s seat may be getting hotter in Waco. But his paycheck aren’t cooling down. Despite being one of the Big 12’s highest-paid HCs, Dave Aranda has managed just a 25-29 record. The Bears have fallen hard, dropping from a 12-2 high in year two to 3-9 in 2023 and 2-4 last season. For many Baylor fans, the sting is knowing their coach is being rewarded like a contender while delivering anything but.

What is Dave Aranda’s net worth?

Pinning down Dave Aranda’s exact contract numbers isn’t easy, but one thing is certain: he’s been earning big for a long time. Back in 2016 at LSU, his paycheck started at $1.3 M and ballooned to $2.5 M within 2 years. Since then, his salary has likely stayed well above that mark, especially in the Big 12’s high-paying coaching market. Now, with nearly a decade of seven-figure earnings, Aranda’s net worth is safely projected north of $10 M. This is built on years of lucrative deals and top-tier coaching stops.

Dave Aranda’s salary and contract breakdown

Dave Aranda’s contract at Baylor is one of CFB’s most closely guarded secrets. Signed in January 2020 on a 6-year deal through 2025. His early success in 2021 earned him a swift extension, locking him in through 2029. Exact figures remain undisclosed due to Baylor’s private status. But reports suggest he made around $3.8 M in 2022, dipped to $3 M in 2023, and climbed to $4.5 M in 2024. All unverified numbers. What’s certain is that Aranda’s salary has risen steadily since his $2.5 M LSU coordinator days, placing him firmly in the Big 12’s high-paying tier. And with such a long-term commitment, Aranda’s buyout is believed to be hefty.

 

#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/8zXHJ8bKG7

— Dave Aranda (@CoachDaveAranda) January 17, 2020

If Baylor moved on before the contract’s end, estimates suggest the payout could range between $18- $24 M, assuming a $4 M average salary and a standard 75–100% guarantee. So, for now, Baylor’s leadership seems financially tied to their HC.

Dave Aranda’s career earnings

Year	Team	Role	Base Earnings (estimated)
2016	LSU Tigers	DC	$1,300,000
2017	LSU Tigers	DC	$1,800,000
2018	LSU Tigers	DC	$2,500,000
2019	LSU Tigers	DC	$2,500,000
2020	Baylor Bears	Head Coach	$3,500,000
2021	Baylor Bears	Head Coach	$3,800,000
2022	Baylor Bears	Head Coach	$3,800,000
2023	Baylor Bears	Head Coach	$3,000,000
2024	Baylor Bears	Head Coach	$4,500,000

A look at Aranda’s career

Dave Aranda’s rise through the coaching ranks has been nothing short of relentless. A former LB at California Lutheran, he transitioned from player to teacher in the mid-90s, grinding his way through early roles as a graduate assistant at Texas Tech and Houston. Stops at Cal Lutheran, Delta State, Southern Utah, and Hawaii sharpened his defensive mind, setting the stage for a breakthrough. Then by 2012, as Utah State’s DC, he was the architect of a record-setting 11-win season, crafting a top-15 defense that turned heads nationwide.

That reputation only grew at Wisconsin, where from 2013 to 2015 his units dominated every major defensive category, finishing No. 1 in scoring defense his final season. The next chapter came at LSU, where Aranda’s brilliance helped deliver a national title in 2019. And then Baylor took notice, naming him HC in 2020. By his second full season, he had the Bears storming to a Big 12 title and Sugar Bowl victory, cementing his status as one of the sharpest defensive minds and emerging leaders in CFB. But his situation as of today is a much less optimistic one.

What are the brands endorsed by Dave Aranda?

There are no verified records of Dave Aranda having any commercial brand endorsements. Public databases list zero sponsorship or partnership deals linked to his name, and no credible sources have reported otherwise. So, any talk of endorsements remains unconfirmed.

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