Baylor legend Robert Griffin III is interested in filling the head coaching void at his alma mater.
The Bears fired Dava Aranda last Sunday in the middle of his seventh season with the program off to a 4-3 start to the season.
Griffin, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2011 and played eight seasons in the NFL, said he has spoken with school officials and is hoping those talks will advance further despite his lack of prior coaching experience.
Baylor defeated UCF 41-9 on Friday under interim coach Joe Klanderman.
“If I was making all the decisions, the decision would have already been made, right?” Griffin told Front Office Sports Tonight. “But that’s not the process, and I’m looking forward to going through that process with Baylor University to have real, concrete conversations.
“I’ve had some conversations. I’ll keep those private at this point, out of respect for the coaches who are currently coaching the team and the true head coaching carousel or process of making that happen.”
Griffin has no coaching experience at the college or professional level, but such a hire is not unprecedented. Prior to his current stint at Colorado, Deion Sanders was hired without any prior college or pro experience by Jackson State in 2020.
Former NFL players Michael Vick (Norfolk State) and DeSean Jackson (Delaware State) are other examples.
All three were hired at FCS schools, however.
“The coaching in college is no longer about who calls plays,” Griffin said. “It’s about being a CEO and being able to manage not only the pressure, but also building a culture of winning. And to me, at Baylor University, that can only happen if somebody with somebody who knows what it looks like to win at Baylor.”