Miami Hurricanes defensive coordinator Blake Baker has been officially announced as the new linebacker coach at LSU. Speculation about Baker’s departure from Coral Gables to Baton Rouge evolved throughout the day on Thursday and was confirmed by LSU earlier in the evening.
Baker’s decision to leave Miami and take a job at LSU gives him a chance to return to his roots in college football. Baker played LB in Tulane, New Orleans and was on the 2014-18 Louisiana Tech team. Baker will join a redefined defensive team. Tigers are a year away from a National Championship.
Baker joins the Tigers team led by coach Ed Orgeron, who was the defensive line coach in Miami from 1988-92, where he won two national championships under Dennis Erickson. Baker’s departure had been speculated since coach Manny Diaz announced that he would resume play-call functions in 2021.
Baker had called the defensive plays for the Hurricanes in the past two seasons as a defensive co-coordinator with Ephraim Banda. Banda left Miami and went to the state of Utah after the season. The band’s departure was one of the few changes in the Miami defensive team for the 2021 season.
Hold that tiger
Blake Baker is calling Baton Rouge and will serve as coach for Tigers linebackers. pic.twitter.com/sEJ32fvGG0
– LSU Football (@LSUfootball) January 29, 2021
Miami hired defense coach Travaris Robinson, cornerback coach DeMarcus Van Dyke and defense coach Jess Simpson this month to replace Banda, who was the safeties coach, CB coach Mike Rumph and DL coach Todd Stroud. Robinson, who has been DC in South Carolina for the past four years, could replace Baker.
Diaz may also decide to seek an external candidate. The Miami Hurricanes technical team is still a destination job. but Diaz may have difficulty looking for candidates so late in the off-season. There was no initial speculation about who could replace Baker. Diaz has a diverse experience in coaching to interview candidates.