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Reports: Baylor fires two defensive assistants after 2022 regular season

Baylor coach Dave Aranda is shaking up his staff after a disappointing 6-6 season, according to multiple reports.

WACO, Texas — Baylor is reportedly shaking up its defensive staff after a disappointing 6-6 season.

Thursday, according to multiple reports, including sic'em 365 and The Athletic, the school's football program fired defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and safeties coach/special teams coordinator Ronnie Wheat.

6 Sports has asked Baylor for confirmation and has been told the school, "will not comment on personnel decisions."

Roberts has been the DC at Baylor since Dave Aranda's hiring as the Bears' head coach in January 2020, coming to Waco from Louisiana, where he served in the same position with the Ragin' Cajuns for two seasons after a successful stint as the head coach at FCS Southeastern Louisiana.

The Bears had one of the Big 12's best defenses in 2021, holding opponents to 18.3 points on 345.8 yards per game en route to a Big 12 Conference and Sugar Bowl title.

In 2022, the defense allowed 370.3 yards and 26.6 points per game.

Credit: Kurtis Quillin/KCEN
Baylor safeties coach and special teams coordinator Ronnie Wheat guides the Bears through pregame warm-ups ahead of a college football game against BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah on Sept. 10, 2022. The Bears lost 26-20 in double overtime.

Ronnie Wheat was hired on to Baylor's staff in 2022 as its new safeties' coach and special teams coordinator.

Baylor's special teams units were out-gained on returns 24.1-17-1 yards per game on kickoffs and allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown against Oklahoma State.

The Bears did out-return its opponents on punts, 12.6-4.7 yards per game.

In 2021, Baylor out-returned its opponents 21.7-18.7 yards per game on kickoff returns and 8.1-3.7 yards per game on punt returns.

Wheat came to Waco from Nevada, where he coached safeties and linebackers for two seasons after seven seasons under Aranda on the defensive staff at LSU.

The Bears went 6-6 in 2022, losing their final three games in the regular season. They now await their bowl destination.

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