Robert Griffin III’s pursuit of a head coaching role may soon take a major step forward. Baylor is expected to interview the former Cleveland Browns quarterback for its vacant head coaching position, with Griffin openly expressing interest in returning to the school where he won the 2011 Heisman Trophy.
Griffin, now a Fox Sports analyst, has no college or NFL coaching experience. He has argued that his ties to Baylor and ability to lead a program should be considered in the search. “If I was making all the decisions, the decision would have already been made, right?” he said in an interview last month.
Baylor fired Dave Aranda on Oct. 25 and appointed defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman interim head coach for the rest of the season. Athletic director Doug McNamee is overseeing the search, and Griffin has said he has spoken with him.
## Griffin’s Baylor Case Centers on Leadership and Recruiting
Griffin’s success at Baylor helped make him the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year with Washington before later earning another starting opportunity with Cleveland.
His Browns career lasted one season. Griffin started five games in 2016, completing 87 of 147 passes for 886 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 190 yards and two scores. Cleveland released him the following offseason.
Griffin later played for Baltimore and moved into broadcasting, working for ESPN before joining Fox. As recently as September, he was also advocating for an NFL playing comeback.
He has continued to comment on Cleveland’s quarterback decisions. After Shedeur Sanders made his first start of the season against New Orleans, Griffin supported giving the second-year passer a starting opportunity.
“Shedeur Sanders should be a starting QB in the NFL,” Griffin wrote on X.
Sanders threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns in the overtime loss. Cleveland then restored Deshaun Watson to the starting role for its game against Houston.
Griffin has framed his Baylor candidacy as more than a bid based on his playing career. In his interview, he pointed to program leadership and recruiting connections in Texas.
“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.”
## Griffin Has Also Discussed Other Baylor Candidates
Griffin has expressed support for other potential candidates. During an October appearance on *The Dan Patrick Show*, he mentioned Boise State’s Spencer Danielson, UTSA’s Jeff Traylor and USC’s Lincoln Riley as possibilities. More recently, he offered Klanderman a conditional endorsement.
Baylor won its first two games under Klanderman, defeating UCF and Iowa State to reach a 6-3 record. The interim coach has an opportunity to strengthen his candidacy as the university considers other options.
The Bears close the regular season with games against BYU, Texas Tech and Houston.
