Sometimes, a coaching career takes a turn no one plans. A coach spends years working toward the top job, gets his opportunity, and then discovers that being a head coach isn’t necessarily where he does his best work. Dave Aranda might be finding his way back to a place where his particular talents were once highly valued.

Reports suggest that LSU head coach Lane Kiffin may be interested in bringing Aranda back to Baton Rouge as an analyst. If it happens, it would be an interesting return for somebody whose coaching reputation was built in part on his work with the Tigers.

LSU Remembers What Aranda Can Bring

Aranda was LSU’s defensive coordinator from 2016 through 2019, working under Les Miles and Ed Orgeron. That final season ended with a national championship, and Aranda’s defensive reputation helped open the door to the head coaching opportunity at Baylor. Things didn’t work out quite as hoped in Waco. Aranda finished with a 40-40 record over seven seasons, and Baylor decided it was time for a change after consecutive losses to TCU and Kansas.

That’s the difficult part of coaching. Winning and losing eventually become the measuring stick, especially when you’re responsible for an entire program. But a head coaching record doesn’t tell us everything about what somebody knows or what he can contribute.

Aranda has a strong defensive background, and LSU may want to use that again.

Sometimes a Different Role Is a Good Opportunity

There’s another interesting connection here. Ed Orgeron, who coached Aranda at LSU and won the national championship with him, is also on Kiffin’s staff as a special assistant to recruiting and defence. If Aranda joins the staff, two people from that championship program would be working together again.

LSU already has Blake Baker as defensive coordinator, and the Tigers have been playing excellent defence. They’re allowing just 258.1 yards per game, ranking fourth nationally by reported statistics.

So this isn’t necessarily about replacing somebody or fixing a broken defence. It could be about adding another experienced football mind to an already productive group.

For Aranda, an analyst role might offer a chance to get back to what he knows best without carrying the full responsibility of running a program.

Aranda Is a Good Coach. Could He Land Back Where He Found Success Before?

We sometimes judge coaches entirely by their last job. That may be understandable, but it can also be short-sighted. Aranda didn’t become a poor defensive coach simply because Baylor didn’t work out.

A return to LSU wouldn’t erase what happened at Baylor. It might, however, give him an opportunity to remind people why he became such a respected defensive coach in the first place.

Related: Drew Meskimenko vs. Arch Manning: The Quarterback Conversation Just Changed?