LSU HC Lane Kiffin breaks silence on retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin confirmed Friday night that defensive coordinator Blake Baker will remain in Baton Rouge, ending a week of uncertainty that saw Baker interview for head-coaching openings at Tulane and draw significant interest from Memphis.

Kiffin announced the news through a late-night post on X (formerly Twitter), after spending the day finalizing LSU’s early signing-day efforts.

“Sorry couldn’t make it to Atlanta, but so excited that I stayed to finish this all up!!
@CoachBlakeBaker is going nowhere !!! What a really long amazing Friday for @LSUfootball #ItsDifferent,” wrote Kiffin.

Many viewed Baker as the frontrunner to replace Jon Sumrall at Tulane, his alma mater, where he played from 2000–04. He reportedly formally withdrew from consideration Friday night while Tulane was competing in the American Athletic Conference championship game. Memphis also pursued him as a top candidate.

However, despite those opportunities, the 43-year-old opted to stay at LSU, where he has been one of the nation’s highest-paid defensive coordinators at $2.5 million annually. He is reportedly expected to receive a contract raise and extension under Kiffin.

Baker’s retention is crucial to the Tigers’ roster and recruiting stability. Throughout the week, he remained directly involved in recruiting conversations, helping LSU close the early signing period with major additions, including five-star defensive tackle Lamar Brown, the No. 1 overall recruit nationally, and top-100 prospects such as Deuce Geralds. LSU also signed three top-75 defensive linemen on Friday alone, propping up a defensive front undergoing personnel turnover.

The Tigers’ on-field improvement under Baker is the primary reason Kiffin prioritized keeping him on staff. When Baker arrived from Missouri after the 2023 season, LSU was coming off one of the worst defensive performances in school history. He yanked the unit from 81st in scoring defense to 59th in his first year, allowing 24.3 points per game, before engineering one of the program’s best defensive seasons in nearly a decade in 2024.

This fall, the Tigers ranked 15th nationally in scoring defense, surrendering 18.3 points per game, and 25th in total defense. LSU also led the SEC in interceptions and ranked seventh nationally in picks, while not allowing more than 10 points in each of its first four games.

Baker’s return also brings continuity to a defensive staff that includes assistants carried over from his Missouri tenure, such as edge coach Kevin Peoples and safeties coach Jake Olsen. The Tigers are targeting Syracuse defensive line coach Elijah Robinson for the same role, with Robinson spotted at the football operations building on Friday. A potential vacancy exists on the defensive line, as coach Kyle Williams is considering leaving after just one season.

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