Blake Baker
Blake Baker (born July 10, 1982) is an American football coach and currently the defensive coordinator for the Missouri Tigers. He most recently the linebackers coach at Louisiana State University. He was previously the defensive coordinator at Miami (FL) and Louisiana Tech.
Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Defensive coordinator |
Team | Missouri |
Conference | SEC |
Biographical details | |
Born | Houston, Texas | July 10, 1982
Playing career | |
2000–2004 | Tulane |
Position(s) | Linebacker |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
2009 | Clear Springs HS (TX) (WR) |
2010–2012 | Texas (GA) |
2013 | Arkansas State (S) |
2014 | Louisiana Tech (S) |
2015–2018 | Louisiana Tech (DC/LB) |
2019–2020 | Miami (FL) (DC/ILB) |
2021 | LSU (LB) |
2022–present | Missouri (DC/S) |
Playing career
Baker was a linebacker at Tulane from 2000 to 2004, redshirting the 2000 season. He played 42 career games, racking up 145 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and six sacks in his college career.[1]
Coaching career
Baker was hired a graduate assistant at Texas in 2010, working under Longhorns defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.[2] He was hired to be the safeties coach at Arkansas State in 2013 on Bryan Harsin's staff. After Harsin departed to accept the head coaching position at his alma mater Boise State in 2014, Baker was hired to be the Broncos director of player personnel.[3] He spent approximately a month there before accepting an assistant coaching position at Louisiana Tech.[4]
Louisiana Tech
Baker was hired to be the safeties coach at Louisiana Tech in 2014, working once again under Manny Diaz.[5] After Diaz left to accept the defensive coordinator position at Mississippi State, Baker was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2015 and also assumed Diaz's role as the linebackers coach.[6][7]
Miami (FL)
Baker was named the defensive coordinator at the University of Miami by head coach Manny Diaz in January 2019.[8] It was announced in January 2021 that Baker would be retained in his defensive coordinator role at the University of Miami, but he would no longer be responsible for defensive play-calling on gamedays as head coach Manny Diaz will now be taking on that responsibility.[9]
LSU
On January 29, 2021, Baker joined LSU as linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator.[10] He was only at LSU for one season as he was not retained by Brian Kelly.[11]
Missouri
On January 20, 2022 he was announced as University of Missouri’s safeties coach. Baker had previously coached with Missouri Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz at Arkansas State University, where Baker served as safeties coach and Drinkwitz served as Co-OC and running backs coach.[12] After a year on the job, Steve Wilks returned to the NFL, and Baker was promoted to defensive coordinator.[13]
References
- "Nine Things To Know About New Defensive Coordinator Blake Baker". 247Sports. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "Blake Baker could have short stint with Miami football program". FanSided. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "Harsin completes Boise State coaching staff with three hires". Idaho Press. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "Tharp Hired as Director of Player Personnel". Boise State Athletics. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- Isabella, Sean. "Tech hires Boise staffer for safeties". The Daily Advertiser. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "Tech's Baker to earn defensive coordinator promotion". The Shreveport Times. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- Isabella, Sean. "Tech continues to set defensive standard in spring ball". The News-Star. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "It's official: Miami has new D-coordinator and he's a former pupil of coach Manny Diaz". Miami Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- Samuels, Doug. "Sources: LSU seeking to hire an ACC defensive coordinator". footballscoop.com. Football Scoop. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- LSU Football [@LSUfootball] (January 29, 2021). "Hold That Tiger Blake Baker is Callin' Baton Rouge and will serve as the Tigers' linebackers coach" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- West, Glen. "Report: LSU Football Will Not Retain Linebackers Coach Blake Baker". Sports Illustrated LSU Tigers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- Matter, Dave. "Mizzou hiring former LSU defensive assistant Blake Baker". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- Brice, John (14 February 2022). "Sources: After stints atop Miami, La. Tech defenses, Blake Baker poised to take over Missouri D". footballscoop.com. Football Scoop. Retrieved 14 February 2022.