Joe Klanderman looks to restore energy and build Baylor’s future as interim head coach

WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Following the firing of head coach Dave Aranda, Baylor football is turning to interim head coach Joe Klanderman to provide a spark for the remainder of the season and lay the groundwork for the program’s future.

Klanderman, who joined Baylor this season after spending five years as Kansas State’s defensive coordinator, takes over a team facing a pivotal stretch of its schedule. With the Bears preparing for a Friday night road game against UCF, Klanderman outlined three priorities for his time as interim head coach: energizing the program, strengthening the roster for 2027, and establishing complementary football to help Baylor win more games.

“I really promised Doug and Javon three things that I was going to try to do in my time here,” Klanderman said. “Number one is, is I was going to try to provide a jolt

of energy that I think this program desperately needs.”

That energy, he said, must extend beyond the players and coaching staff to Baylor’s fan base and alumni. Klanderman also pledged to make the program more accessible, emphasizing that Baylor football belongs to Waco and Central Texas.

“This is Waco’s team. This is Central Texas’s team, and I want people to know about what’s going on here,” Klanderman said.

Klanderman’s second priority is to strengthen Baylor’s position for the 2027 season while continuing to compete during the remainder of the current campaign.

He acknowledged that coaching changes can create uncertainty across college football, particularly as other programs look to recruit players from rosters undergoing transitions. Klanderman wants to build stronger relationships and establish agreements that help Baylor retain its talent and enter next season in a stronger position.

“There’s a lot of work to be done this season, and we have goals this season,” Klanderman said. “Half the season is still left, and every goal that we had set in the preseason is still in front of us right now.”

He also stressed that the program must be bigger than any individual coach, including himself. Without a guarantee that he will remain in the position beyond this season, Klanderman said he plans to sell players on Baylor’s university, its community and the brotherhood they have built with one another.

His third priority is establishing what he calls complementary football. Rather than expecting the offense, defense and special teams to perform perfectly at the same time, Klanderman wants each unit to support the others when one struggles.

“The measure of a great team is that it is not the absence of pressure,” Klanderman said. “It’s, you know, that no one person or one unit or one anything has to bear that pressure alone.”

That approach, he said, should allow players to compete more freely without feeling that every mistake could determine the outcome of a game.

The transition from defensive coordinator to interim head coach also means Klanderman must redistribute some of his responsibilities.

He intends to remain involved in defensive game planning and continue calling defensive plays, but he acknowledged that he will have less time to handle every detail himself. His defensive staff will need to take on additional responsibilities, including sideline adjustments, while Klanderman focuses more on game management and the broader needs of the program.

He praised his defensive staff and expressed confidence in the younger coaches who will assume larger roles. Klanderman said he expects the players, particularly team leaders, to take greater ownership of the program as well.

“This is your football team,” Klanderman said he told the players. “It’s not my football team. It’s not anybody else’s football team. It’s your football team.”

He credited lessons learned from his time at North Dakota State and Kansas State for shaping that philosophy, pointing to player accountability as a common ingredient among championship teams. However, he cautioned that ownership cannot be established overnight; it requires trust, consistent leadership, and players willing to hold one another accountable.

Klanderman also wants to change how the Bears approach adversity. He said players can become too concerned about making mistakes, causing them to play anxiously instead of trusting their abilities.

His message to the offense and defense is to play with intensity and passion rather than allowing recent struggles to dictate their confidence.

“I want to take the pressure off of you,” Klanderman said. “I want to let you guys play free.”

Baylor's immediate challenge is preparing for a short week before traveling to Orlando to face UCF on Friday night.

The Knights are coming off an upset victory over BYU, and Klanderman acknowledged that their offense presents a difficult challenge. With limited preparation time and a coaching transition underway, he said Baylor will need to rely on fundamentals and established principles rather than introducing an extensive new game plan.

“On a short week and especially given the circumstances here, it’s going to be a rules and principles kind of a game,” Klanderman said.

He expects the Bears to lean on familiar concepts while emphasizing execution, energy and discipline. Klanderman added that he is less concerned with UCF’s recent success than with how Baylor prepares and performs.

“I don’t care what the state of UCF is,” Klanderman said. “I care about what the state of Baylor Bears is.”

The interim coach also identified areas the offense must improve, particularly along the offensive line and in the running game. He said simplifying assignments and improving blocking angles should help linemen identify their responsibilities, avoid penalties, and create more consistent gains.

Klanderman emphasized that not every successful play needs to produce a big gain. He wants the offense to value steady progress, wear down opposing defenses, and create opportunities for bigger plays as a game develops.

On defense, he praised safety Micah Gifford’s development, describing him as a player who continues to improve as he adjusts to the position. Klanderman believes Gifford’s instincts and growing understanding of defensive concepts have helped him emerge as one of the conference’s top players.

Beyond game planning, Klanderman sees relationship-building as central to his effort to change the program’s energy.

He said earning trust requires consistent action rather than simply asking players to believe in him. That means recognizing players individually, challenging them when necessary and understanding that different athletes respond to different forms of leadership.

Klanderman also addressed Baylor fans, acknowledging the disappointment surrounding the team’s recent performances and apologizing for the outcome of the TCU game. He promised that both he and the players would give their best effort as the Bears move forward.

His standard for success extends beyond the scoreboard. Klanderman said he wants Baylor to play hard, fast, and together, believing those habits will give the team the best chance to improve its results.

“Playing hard, playing fast, playing together, we’re winning,” Klanderman said. “I believe, I really do, that we’re talented enough that if we’re doing those things, we’re going to win some games.”

Klanderman’s immediate task is to guide Baylor through the remainder of the season while preparing the program for what comes next. Whether he ultimately becomes the permanent head coach, he said his focus remains on the players and delivering on the three commitments he made when taking the interim position.

Baylor will look to begin that next chapter Friday night against UCF, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central Time on ESPN.