WACO, Texas — Just five days after being hired, Dave Aranda officially turned to someone he trusted to run the Baylor defense.
Aranda hired longtime associate Ron Roberts, who spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator at Louisiana, to the same position in Waco.
Roberts' defense finished 18th in scoring defense, nationally, allowing 19.7 points per game in 2019. That's 87 spots higher and 14.5 points less per game than 2018 in Lafayette.
"Ron Roberts is a mentor to me," Aranda said in a statement. "A lot of the defensive principles and concepts that I have used in my career, I learned from Ron. The defense he is going to run here is an attacking one that dictates the offense. I'm so excited that he's here. He's going to be a great developer of young men and he will be able to get our defense to the highest level."
Aranda was Roberts' defensive coordinator at Div. II Delta State in 2007.
Under Roberts, nine Ragin' Cajuns were named All-Sun Belt and the defense helped them get to the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game both years.
The Baylor defense will have to replace several pieces, including its entire defensive line, as the NFL draft, graduation and injury have claimed several of the Bears' key pieces.
Baylor will open its 2020 season in the Texas Kickoff against Ole Miss at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sept. 5th.
