Mack Rhoades steps down
Mack Rhoades has stepped away from his position at Baylor, effective immediately. In a letter released Thursday, Rhoades expressed that, after nine years of serving as Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, he wants to prioritize his faith and family with an “intentional focus.”
Last week, Rhoades stepped down from his position on the College Football Playoff selection committee, which was subsequently filled by Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek.
In a press release, President Linda Livingstone highlights Rhoades’ accomplishments throughout his time at Baylor that extend past “athletic excellence.”
During this time of uncertainty about who the next director will be, co-interim athletics directors Jovan Overshown and Cody Hall will continue in their roles.
Baylor Football Retains Coach Aranda
University President Linda Livingstone announced in a letter Friday that “after careful evaluation and consideration” the University will retain football Coach Dave Aranda. Aranda, now in his sixth season with Baylor, has come under fire in recent weeks as fans pointed out his 36-35 record overall and current 5-5 record in 2025.
Livingstone cited a few reasons for the decision, including allowing Baylor’s next athletic director “the opportunity to assess the football program,” and financial stewardship. “In an era of extreme volatility in college athletics with NIL, the transfer portal, revenue-sharing, and much more, this approach allows us to invest wisely in the program’s future rather than incur significant buyout costs during an unprecedented turnover of coaches across the country,” she wrote. ESPN pointed out the decision coincides “with an unusually active coaching cycle,” as Penn State, LSU, Florida, and Auburn also search for coaches.
Bears to Watch
During Baylor women’s basketball’s 99-43 win over Le Moyne on Sunday afternoon at Foster Pavilion, three Bears scored at least 20 points for the first time since the trio of NaLyssa Smith, Hannah Gusters, and Queen Egbo against Northwestern State on Dec. 18, 2020.
Senior guard Bella Fontleroy added 21 points, including hitting her 1,000th career point on her final shot of the night. Redshirt sophomore guard Taliah Scott put up 22 points with a career-high nine assists. Senior guard Darianna Littlepage-Buggs led with 26 points on 12-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds, recording her 31st career double-double.
Littlepage-Buggs has also been named to the 2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Top 50 Women’s Watch List. Throughout the 2025-26 season so far, she is averaging 12.5 points and 9.8 rebounds a game.
Anime is Cool
Chris Han (’14) is currently the director of brand management for Crunchyroll, an anime-focused streaming service, and leads the way in providing a robust collection of anime.
In his role, Han navigates a unique challenge when marketing each anime. Organizations in Japan often own the anime, so he must ensure the content resonates in different regions while staying true to its origins.
In a Baylor Proud blog post, Han said, “People used to think you were weird if you liked anime. Now it’s becoming the norm, and kids love asking me questions about my work.”
STEM-ing Out to Local Schools
Baylor University holds R1 status for many reasons. The research being conducted is not limited to improving water quality but also encompasses mental health care, among other areas. Over the last year, Baylor faculty have taken their research directly to several local school districts in the form of hands-on projects tailored to their grade level. This program is designed to encourage students to gain an interest in subjects such as science, technology, and math.
This initiative aims to shorten the distance between Baylor research labs and the surrounding schools. By meeting students where they are, Baylor is building curiosity and excitement around STEM fields.
Baylor Tennis Splits Results
Baylor women’s tennis’ senior Na Dong and junior Zuzanna Kubacha competed in the NCAA singles and doubles competition earlier this week at the UTSA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
Dong started the day against North Carolina State’s Gabriella Broadfoot, where she dropped the first match 6-3. In the second match, she had the lead on Broadfoot, 3-2, but lost 7-5. Kubacha played against Michigan’s No. 3-seeded Piper Charney, dropping both matches 6-4,7-6. Dong and Kubacha lost both doubles matches, 6-4, 6-3.
On the men’s side, No. 5 seed Devin Badenhorst lost 7–6, 6–4 to Wake Forest’s DK Suresh. Doubles partners Connor Van Schalkwyk and Zsombor Velcz won 6–4, 7–6 (7) over Cornell’s Felipe Pinzon and Petar Teodorov, advancing to the Sweet 16.
Last Game on the Road
After a 55-28 loss against No. 13 Utah, Baylor football is wrapping up its road-game stretch this Saturday with a trip to Tucson to take on Arizona at 12 p.m.
Redshirt senior wide receiver Josh Cameron surpassed the 2,000 receiving mark in his career during the Utah game, becoming the 12th player in program history to accomplish this. Cameron has been named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Honorable Mention for Week 12.
During their last meeting, the Bears held a 20-15 win over the Wildcats in the 1992 John Hancock Bowl in El Paso on Dec. 31.
