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<a name="_Hlk490052374"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS –
</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Dec. 14, 2021<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor Football’s Aranda Named Bear Bryant Award Finalist<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Second-year head coach named Big 12 Coach of the Year, one of nine finalists for national award<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> Max Calderone, 254-265-1639,
</span><a href="mailto:Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Max_Calderone@Baylor.edu</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<b>HOUSTON – </b>Baylor head football coach Dave Aranda has been named a finalist for the American Heart Association’s 2021 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, as announced Tuesday afternoon.<br>
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Additionally, Aranda was named the 2021 Big 12 Coach of the Year by the same organization.<br>
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The Paul “Bear” Bryant Award annually recognizes the country’s top college football coaches for their contributions both on and off the field, making the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching
and life. The award is the only coaching honor selected after all postseason bowl games and the National Championship have been played.<br>
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The Coach of the Year Award is voted on by the National Sports Media Association, current NCAA college football coaches, former Coach of the Year award winners, the Bryant Awards’ Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant family.<br>
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In addition to the Coach of the Year, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards program is also presenting individual Conference Coach of the Year Awards for each of the “Power Five” collegiate athletic conferences and one from the “Group of Five” conferences. Aranda is
joined by Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson (ACC), Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell (Group of Five), Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh (Big Ten), Georgia’s Kirby Smart (SEC) and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham (Pac 12) as this year’s winners.
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Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Pittsburgh’s Pat Narduzzi, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Michigan State’s Mel Tucker round out the full list of 2021 Coach of the Year finalists.<br>
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Aranda is fresh off winning the 2021 Big 12 Championship, leading the Bears to an 11-2 season and a berth in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in his second year in Waco. Despite being picked to finish eighth in the conference in the preseason media poll, Aranda tied
for the nation’s second-best turnaround with nine more wins following last season’s 2-7 mark. The Bears currently sit sixth in the AP poll and were ranked seventh in the final College Football Playoff rankings.<br>
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Behind the guidance of Aranda and first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, Baylor’s offense ranked 16th nationally with 5.26 yards per rush and 29th in the country with 6.37 yards per play. BU increased its rushing production by 138% from last season,
raising its rushing average from 90.3 yards per game (123<sup>rd</sup> nationally) to 214.7 yards per game (17<sup>th</sup> nationally). Additionally, Baylor ranked inside the nation’s top-25 in fewest sacks allowed with 18 and turnover margin at +18, in addition
to ranking 26<sup>th</sup> in pass efficiency (152.33) and 37<sup>th</sup> in scoring (32.5 ppg).
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Defensively, BU held opponents to 13.1 points below their season average and was one of three programs to limit every opponent to 30 or fewer points, joining Cincinnati and Clemson. Under Aranda and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, Baylor led the Big 12 and
ranked fifth nationally with 16 interceptions. The Bears placed 14<sup>th</sup> in the country in scoring defense and 16<sup>th</sup> in rushing defense, holding opponents to just 19.2 points and 116.9 rushing yards per game in 2021.<br>
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Baylor had seven players named to the 2021 All-Big 12 first- and second-teams, including four individual award winners in Jalen Pitre (Defensive Player of the Year), Trestan Ebner (Special Teams Player of the Year), Connor Galvin (Offensive Lineman of the Year)
and Siaki Ika (Defensive Newcomer of the Year). Additionally, Pitre was one of three finalists for the 2021 Jim Thorpe Award, honoring the nation’s top defensive back.<br>
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BU has received six All-America honors so far in the 2021 postseason, highlighted by Pitre’s three first-team accolades and one second-team recognition. Jacob Gall (second-team) and Galvin (third-team) were also recognized by one of the major All-America teams
(AP, FWAA, <i>Sporting News,</i> Walter Camp), with the AFCA still to announce.<br>
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Aranda was previously named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and received Big 12 Coach of the Year honors from the Associated Press.<br>
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This year’s Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year will be announced at a gala event on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, from Houston and broadcast live by Bally Sports Southwest, with proceeds benefitting the American Heart Association.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
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For the latest news on the Baylor football team, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.<br>
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<b><u>2021 PAUL “BEAR” BRYANT AWARDS<br>
</u>Conference Coaches of the Year Recipients</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">Big 12 – Dave Aranda, Baylor</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt"><br>
ACC – Dave Clawson, Wake Forest<br>
Group of Five – Luke Fickell, Cincinnati<br>
Big Ten – Jim Harbaugh, Michigan<br>
SEC – Kirby Smart, Georgia<br>
Pac 12 – Kyle Whittingham, Utah<br>
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<b>National Coach of the Year Finalists<br>
Big 12 – Dave Aranda, Baylor<br>
</b>ACC – Dave Clawson, Wake Forest<br>
Group of Five – Luke Fickell, Cincinnati<br>
Big Ten – Jim Harbaugh, Michigan<br>
SEC – Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss<br>
ACC – Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh<br>
SEC – Nick Saban, Alabama<br>
Big Ten – Mel Tucker, Michigan State<br>
Pac 12 – Kyle Whittingham, Utah<br>
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<i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"-webkit-standard",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#154734">Max Calderone</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">C: 254-265-1639</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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