Former Gundy Assistant Fedora Fired at Baylor

STILLWATER – In a somewhat hasty fashion Baylor head coach Dave Aranda has parted ways with two key offensive assistants in offensive coordinator Larry Fedora and passing game coordinator Jorge Munoz. Fedora came to Baylor from Texas where he was serving as an offensive analyst for head coach Tom Herman. Prior to going to UT, Fedora had been a head coach for 11 seasons with Southern Miss from 2008-11 and North Carolina from 2012-18. He had an overall coaching record of 79-62 with eight bowl appearances.

Fedora’s head coaching career got it’s launch in Stillwater at Oklahoma State where he was offensive coordinator from 2005-09 for friend Mike Gundy. Gundy and Fedora first met up in Waco where Fedora had served as an assistant coach for Grant Teaff and then Teaff’s successor Chuck Reedy. Reedy hired Gundy to come in as his receiver’s coach and passing game coordinator. Gundy had been the offensive coordinator for Pat Jones at Oklahoma State but when Bob Simmons came in as head coach he kept Gundy as a position coach and Gundy left after one season. Fedora and Gundy really hit it off in Waco until Reedy was fired and then they went their separate ways only to reunite when Gundy got the head coaching position at his alma mater.

It appears for now that offensive line coach Joe Wickline, who has worked several times with Fedora and was suggested by Fedora to Aranda at Baylor will stay on. Munoz had been at LSU where Aranda was defensive coordinator before taking the Baylor job.

Josh Fralick

Veteran Baylor QB Charlie Brewer annunced his transfer the day after the Bears lost Oklahoma State.

Fedora did not get the benefit of a spring practice or even a normal summer to put in his offensive schemes. There appeared to be some disconnect with the returning quarterback as Charlie Brewer announced he was entering the NCAA Portal and transferring as a graduate. That announcement came the day after Baylor ended the season with a 42-3 loss to Oklahoma State, a game where neither Fedora nor Munoz coached as both were out because of COVID-19 protocols.

Baylor Bear Athletics

Larry Fedora at a Baylor practice.

At the end of the season the actual results weren’t good on the Bears offense. In the 2-7 season in 2020, Baylor finished 118th nationally in total offense (310.2 yards per game) and 99th in scoring offense (23.3 points per outing). The 23.3 points per game were ninth in the Big 12 with only Kansas behind Baylor in scoring.

Fedora has long been mentioned in hush tones as a possible head coach at Oklahoma State if Gundy ever left. Sources have told Pokes Report that Fedora and current athletic director Mike Holder had a mutual admiration for each other. Fedora was also rumored to be a candidate for Baylor’s head job in both 2007 and 2016.

This latest development can’t serve as a positive for Fedora, but his schemes developed to have a balanced spread offense are still popular.