New Baylor DC Joe Klanderman Shares Early Takeaways From Spring Ball

The Bears' defense will look different this season.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 5:21pm

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After having one of the worst defenses in college football, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda hired Kansas State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman to take over the Bears' defense. Klanderman spoke with the media on Friday and said they've already started implementing scheme changes for the upcoming season, but they're also focusing on getting the players to run to the ball, get off blocks, and improve their tackling angles.

Why it matters

Baylor had the 122nd-ranked scoring defense last season, forcing the offense to score 38-plus points to win games. The hiring of Klanderman as the new defensive coordinator signals a shift in Baylor's defensive approach, as they look to improve on the weaker side of the ball.

The details

Klanderman said they're 'crawling before they walk' in terms of implementing the new defensive scheme, and they're focused on fundamentals like pursuit angles and tackling before getting into more complex schematic changes. Despite the changes, the buy-in from the players has been 'awesome' according to Klanderman, who is known for leading a respected defense at Kansas State.

  • Klanderman spoke with the media on Friday, March 28, 2026.

The players

Dave Aranda

The head coach of the Baylor Bears football team.

Joe Klanderman

The new defensive coordinator for the Baylor Bears, previously the defensive coordinator at Kansas State for the past six seasons.

Matt Powledge

The former defensive coordinator for the Baylor Bears.

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What they’re saying

“You gotta crawl before you walk, and so we're crawling. But I think the big things right now, before we get into a whole bunch of schematic things, is we're trying to teach these guys to run to the ball. Trying to get these guys playing harder. We're trying to get these guys off blocks. We're trying to get these guys in better pursuit angles on tackling. So that's kind of where we're at right now.”

— Joe Klanderman, Baylor Defensive Coordinator

“The buy-in's been awesome. The buy-in's been as good as I could have hoped. And we've got players that are carrying the message now, got guys that really want it and work hard. A lot of guys that do a lot of extra things, unprompted, it's awesome. So it's going great, we gotta keep it there.”

— Joe Klanderman, Baylor Defensive Coordinator

What’s next

Klanderman and the Baylor coaching staff will continue to implement the new defensive scheme and focus on fundamentals during the remainder of spring practice, with the goal of having the defense ready to perform at a higher level when the 2026 season begins.

The takeaway

Baylor's hiring of Joe Klanderman as the new defensive coordinator signals a renewed focus on improving the team's struggling defense. While the implementation of the new scheme is still in the early stages, the strong buy-in from players is an encouraging sign that the Bears are committed to turning things around on that side of the ball.