UTSA's Jeff Traylor, the Top Name on Baylor's Hot Board, Says He Plans to Ride Out His Contract in San Antonio
Baylor fired Dave Aranda on Sunday and On3's hot board put UTSA's Jeff Traylor at the top of its list — but Traylor told a San Antonio radio audience Monday that he and his wife love it here and plan on riding out his full contract, which runs through 2031.
Baylor parted ways with head coach Dave Aranda on Sunday after seven seasons, ending a tenure that finished 40-40 overall and 26-32 in Big 12 play, peaked with the 2021 Big 12 championship and Sugar Bowl, and unraveled over the past two seasons, including a 25-24 loss to Kansas that preceded the firing. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will serve as interim coach. The name that surfaced immediately, and repeatedly, was San Antonio's: On3's initial hot board put UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor at the top of the list of candidates who check every box, ClutchPoints reported Tuesday, and CBS Sports' candidate list also included Traylor alongside Boise State's Spencer Danielson, Texas State's G.J. Kinne, New Mexico's Jason Eck and USC's Lincoln Riley.
Traylor addressed the speculation Monday during a radio appearance on San Antonio's Sports Star, as reported by On3, and pointed at the deal he has already signed. "It's a good thing [to be mentioned for the Baylor opening]," Traylor said. "I've been on your show for seven years now, and we've had a bunch of great players and great teams. I've been, supposedly, going to take a job at seven different schools. I signed a 10-year contract here. My wife and I love it. We've got some things to finish here." The contract runs through the 2031 season.
The timing is why the rumor has weight: Traylor's Roadrunners are 7-1 and 4-0 in the American, alone at the top of the conference after Saturday's 42-19 win at Tulane, and his career record at UTSA stands at 58-27. Traylor tied his staying to the program's trajectory — revenue sharing, staffing and the long-planned indoor facility — saying that as long as those things keep moving in the right direction, "we plan on riding out our full contract here." UTSA's next test is a Thursday night home date with Florida Atlantic on Nov. 5 on ESPN, a game this station previewed earlier Tuesday.
