Breaking: LSU Announces The Hire Of Blake Baker As New Defensive Coordinator

LSU has announced that Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker has been hired as Brian Kelly’s new DC.

Baker will replace Matt House, who was fired on Wednesday.

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The 41-year-old coach has been Missouri's defensive coordinator for the past two seasons and recently signed a contract extension in December. The Tigers ranked 25th in total defense this year. Per RockMNation:

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In two seasons with the Tigers, Baker’s defenses ranked 19th and 14th in defensive SP+, respectively. This compared to 2021, when the Tigers finished 97th in SP+ under now San Francisco 49ers DC Steve Wilks. Baker’s defenses came to be known for their havoc-inducing style, dialing up creative blitzes early and often. Baker also coached up defensive backs like Ennis Rakestraw, Kris Abrams-Draine and Jaylon Carlies, all of whom have declared for the NFL draft and are expected to be picked.

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Baker, a native of Houston, played football at Tulane and has family ties to Louisiana. He was LSU's linebacker coach in 2021 under Ed Orgeron but was not retained when Brian Kelly was hired.

The Advocate reports that Baker's deal is a three-year contract worth $2.5 million annually.

Kelly still needs to hire a new defensive line coach, cornerback coach and safety coach to round out his defensive staff. Landing Baker was a big step in the right direction. Stay tuned for more hires coming soon.

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