Robert Griffin III Expresses Strong Interest in Major College Football Coaching Job

Former Baylor quarterback and 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III wants to coach his alma mater, and he made that clear Monday, one day after the Bears fired head coach Dave Aranda following a 25-24 loss at Kansas.

Griffin answered “Yes, 100%” when host Dan Patrick asked about his interest on The Dan Patrick Show, adding that Baylor needs “people who know what it looks like to win at Baylor.”

Why does Griffin want Baylor’s job?

Griffin said he’s already spoken with Baylor athletic director Doug McNamee, who replaced Mack Rhoades last December and moved on from Aranda after back-to-back losses to TCU and Kansas dropped the Bears to 4-3.

Aranda went 40-40 in seven seasons and produced one winning record after his 2021 Big 12 title. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will finish 2026 as interim coach.

Baylor lost Matt Rhule to the Carolina Panthers after the 2019 season, and the Copperas Cove, Texas, native wants the next coach to stay.

“I’m just tired of seeing Baylor be the steppingstone or the stepchild to all these other teams,” Griffin said. “We should be back on top.”

Griffin’s case without coaching experience

Griffin threw for 4,293 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2011 to become Baylor’s only Heisman winner, but he has never held a college or NFL coaching job.

“Being a CEO type of coach in college football is completely different,” Griffin said. “You don’t have to have experience coaching at the highest level to be successful.”

Former NFL stars have tested that idea at the FCS level with mixed results. Deion Sanders went 27-6 at Jackson State before leaving for Colorado. Michael Vick had no formal coaching experience when Norfolk State hired him in December 2024, and the Spartans went 1-11 in his first season. Baylor would be asking a first-time coach to win in the Big 12 while paying Aranda’s reported $12 million buyout.

Who else did Griffin recommend?

Griffin pitched three other candidates, starting with Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson.

“I think he is a top-notch guy, a top-notch coach and knows how to win,” Griffin said.

Danielson entered 2026 with a 24-8 record and a 2024 College Football Playoff berth, and he signed a contract extension through 2030 in April.

Griffin called UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor “a great option.” The former Texas assistant went 53-26 in his first six seasons in San Antonio, the most wins by a coach in program history.

Griffin named USC head coach Lincoln Riley “a dark horse,” but Riley carries a reported buyout of roughly $70 million, and the Trojans fell to 6-2 after a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin on Saturday.

“I don’t think USC wants to pay Lincoln Riley what it has to pay him for him to leave without him having another opportunity that would offset that,” Griffin said.