Football is back... almost. With Baylor's season opener against Auburn less than two weeks away, Waco Tribune-Herald sports editor Brice Cherry and sports reporter Zach Smith are back to recap everything that happened in the offseason. Dave Aranda is entering his seventh year in charge on one of the hottest seats in the country, but he seems more relaxed than ever. Why? Quarterback DJ Lagway was the prized recruit of the portal and has been getting a lot of hype throughout the fall. Is it warranted? Plus, just how good can the revamped defense be for the Bears? Be sure to subscribe to the Bear Necessities Newsletter (https://bear-necessities.beehiiv.com/) to get Baylor athletics news delivered to your inbox twice a week and stay up to date with all Baylor happenings on the Waco Tribune-Herald (https://wacotrib.com/sports/) website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baylor softball coach Glenn Moore hasn’t had a boring summer. After wrapping up his 26th season in charge of the Bears by advancing to the NCAA Tournament, Moore replaced nearly his entire coaching staff while simultaneously working the transfer portal. He sits down with Baylor beat reporter Zach Smith to discuss everything, from what he expects from incoming coaching Jenny and Brad Fuller, to what excites him about his deep pitching staff and whether he still enjoys coaching after more than 30 years in college.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nothing is withering in Waco when it comes to women's basketball, and head coach Nicki Collen sat down with the Tribune-Herald's women's basketball writer Zach Smith to discuss it all. Baylor made the NCAA Tournament yet again last season and brings back Taliah Scott, one of the most elite scorers in the country. Scott will be joined by a talented transfer portal class and a strong group of returning players. That includes Johnson, who tore her ACL just before the postseason and is hopeful to return to the court at some point next season.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Cameron began his Baylor career as an unheralded walk-on, and he ended it as one of the best and most consistent receivers in the Big 12. He's expected to get drafted next month in the NFL Draft. Cameron joins Tribune-Herald Baylor beat writer Zach Smith to discuss what has been going on in his life since the Bears' season ended in November. He played in the Senior Bowl and attended the NFL Scouting Combine, but didn't run any on-field drills while rehabbing an injury. That hasn't dampened his spirits as he looks forward to the NFL Draft.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson sits down with Tribune-Herald Baylor beat writer Zach Smith to discuss the NFL Draft process. Since the end of the college football season, Robertson has participated in the Senior Bowl, gone to the NFL Combine and will participate in Baylor's Pro Day at the Allison Indoor Facility on Sunday. He will be selected on the final two days of next month's NFL Draft.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After some time off for the holidays, Trib sports editor Brice Cherry and sports reporter Zach Smith are back to talk about all the happenings in Baylor athletics. First, the Baylor women's basketball team is on an eight-game winning streak. What makes Nicki Collen and the Bears so good, and can they compete for a Big 12 title? Things aren't as rosy on the men's side, as Scott Drew is having one of his worst seasons in recent memory. What went so wrong this season, and can it be fixed? The football transfer portal has slowed down considerably. Baylor's biggest signing was former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway. Is he enough to give the Bears and Dave Aranda hope next season? Finally, Brice and Zach discuss their recent interview with new Baylor AD Doug McNamee and what questions still need to be answered as he settles in.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug McNamee has been in his job as Baylor Athletic Director for just under two months. A Baylor graduate, McNamee previously worked in the athletics department from 2012 to 2017. He worked with the Bear Foundation for the first four years before serving as the Associate AD for External Relations in 2017. He left Baylor to become the President of the Waco-based brand Magnolia in 2018, founded by Baylor alumni Chip and Joanna Gaines. In 2022, he became the President of Field & Stream, an outdoor retailer and magazine. McNamee replaces Mack Rhoades, who stepped down in late November after spending nine years in the role. Waco Tribune-Herald sports editor Brice Cherry and sports reporter Zach Smith sat down with McNamee to discuss how he is adjusting to the new role, his plans for the future of the department, NIL and various sports.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baylor and Texas are set to renew their women's basketball rivalry Sunday afternoon in Fort Worth. Texas beat writer Danny Davis from the Austin American-Statesman joins Baylor beat writer Zach Smith to break down the matchup between the Bears and Longhorns. What makes No. 2 Texas so good? How good are the talented Texas duo of Rori Harmon and Madison Booker? Will the Longhorns be intimidated by elite Baylor scorer Taliah Scott? Should this game continue even with schools in different conferences?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baylor officially has a new athletic director: Doug McNamee. McNamee is a Baylor alum and athletics department employee who spent the last seven years as President of Magnolia and Field & Stream. He and Baylor President Linda Livingstone made it clear that the main goal with this hire is fundraising. But there are other things on McNamee's to-do list, including fixing the football program and repairing a fractured relationship with the Baylor fan base. Trib sports editor Brice Cherry and Baylor beat writer Zach Smith give their instant reaction to the new face of Baylor athletics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a game that mirrored how the Baylor season has gone in many ways, the Bears couldn't climb out of an early hole in a loss to Houston in the final game of the regular season Saturday at McLane Stadium. Baylor has missed a bowl game in three of six seasons under head coach Dave Aranda, while it has had four losing seasons in that span. Trib sports editor Brice Cherry and Baylor beat writer Zach Smith break down the loss to the Cougars and discuss what comes next for the Bears.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.