LSU keeps DC Dave Aranda from Texas A&M, will pay him over $2M a year

Texas A&M was apparently willing to spend whatever it takes to assemble its new coaching staff.

The Aggies tried to hire LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda away from the Tigers, but the second-year coordinator is staying in Baton Rouge. The news was first reported by the Baton Rouge Advocate and a source confirmed to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel.

Aranda’s salary is expected to be north of $2 million, making him the first college coordinator to make over $2 million a season.

Forty-six FBS head coaches made more than $2.5 million in 2017 according to USA Today’s salary database. Aranda was already making more money than a lot of head coaches anyway. His contract at LSU paid him over $1.8 million in 2017. He’s just making more money than more head coaches now.

Please keep this salary inflation in mind when major programs say they can’t afford to pay players.

Aranda would have been working under new Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who signed a 10-year, $75 million guaranteed contract with the school in December to replace the fired Kevin Sumlin. Fisher came over to A&M from Florida State, where he won the BCS Championship after the 2013 season. Texas A&M’s previous defensive coordinator was John Chavis, the second-highest paid assistant in college football in 2017.

LSU keeping Aranda means the Tigers won’t be searching for two coordinators this offseason. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada — a celebrated hire just a year ago — is leaving after one season under coach Ed Orgeron.

Orgeron was promoted to interim coach in 2016 after Les Miles was fired and given the permanent job in 2017. The Tigers finished the season 9-4 after losing to Notre Dame in the Citrus Bowl.

Aranda came to LSU from Wisconsin in January of 2016.

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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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