LSU is working to add Dave Aranda back to its staff as an analyst, a move that would bring the former LSU defensive coordinator home after his firing at Baylor. Multiple reports say the Tigers are eyeing Aranda for the role, but the hire has not been finalized.
That is why Aranda’s name is back in circulation now. He was ousted by Baylor less than a month ago after seven games in the 2026 season, and LSU is moving quickly enough to explore a reunion before the calendar turns further. For LSU, the appeal is obvious: Aranda already knows the program, and he coached its defense from 2016 to 2019 before leaving in 2020 for the head job at Baylor.
The reported move matters because it is more than a nostalgic return. LSU is not talking about a headline-grabbing promotion or a public reset; it is working on a staff addition that could give the Tigers an experienced defensive voice without the pressure that comes with a full-time coaching title. That distinction matters, because the reports stop short of saying the deal is done.
There is still a gap between interest and completion. Aranda is being eyed as a new addition to the Tigers’ staff, and the language around the move remains cautious even as the reporting points in one direction. In other words, LSU is clearly working on the idea, but whether LSU has finished the move is the unanswered part that now hangs over it.
If the hire is completed, LSU would be bringing back a coach who already has a track record there and who is coming off one of the shortest and sharpest job turns of his career. If it is not, the report still shows where LSU’s attention is pointed: toward a familiar defensive mind at a moment when the Tigers are looking to strengthen their staff.
