Miami Hurricanes DC Blake Baker reportedly strongly pursued by LSU
LSU is strongly pursuing Miami Hurricanes defensive coordinator Blake Baker according to a report from Doug Samuels of FootballScoop.Com. Former Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones was hired by LSU earlier this month as their DC. Baker is potentially being pursued as Co-DC and linebackers coach.
Baker is currently the DC and inside LB coach for Miami. Baker lost his responsibility as the defensive play-caller for the Miami Hurricanes defense earlier this month. In a re-shuffling of the Miami coaching staff head coach Manny Diaz announced he would resume calling the Hurricanes defense during the 2021 season.
The pursuit of Baker would conclude LSU rebuilding their own defensive staff. Defensive coordinator Bo Pellini was fired by the Tigers after one season in his second stint with LSU. Baker was hired by Diaz to be the DC for Miami in 2019. Diaz was elevated to head coach and Baker joined the Miami staff from Louisiana Tech.
The potential of joining the LSU staff would give Baker a chance to return to the state where he played college football at Tulane at coached for five seasons. Baker was the defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech for four seasons after being the Bulldogs safeties coach during the 2014 season under Diaz.
Baker began his coaching at Texas as a graduate assistant for three seasons under Diaz. After spending the 2012 season as the safeties coach at Arkansas State, Baker left for Louisiana Tech. The Miami defensive performance declined in 2020 after a good first season under Diaz in 2019.
Miami fell from 23rd in 2019 to 51st in 2020 in scoring defense and from 13th to 67th in total defense from 2019 to 2020. Getting the defense back to the 2019 levels and where they were with Diaz as the defensive coordinator from 2016-18 under former Miami head coach Mark Richt.
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Miami recently hired former South Carolina defensive coordinator Tavaris Robinson as the defensive backs coach. If Baker is hired by LSU, Diaz would have the option of elevating Robinson at the interim DC. Miami has a tough task ahead of them to replace starting defensive ends Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche in 2021.