Fans of the LSU Tigers rejoice, it appears that defensive coordinator Blake Baker will not be going anywhere this season under new head coach Lane Kiffin.
CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported on Monday morning that Kiffin plans to keep Baker on the staff as defensive coordinator, the outcome that most had hoped would happen.
The former Ole Miss Rebels head coach was going to need to find a new defensive coordinator to work with anyway, because the Rebels just promoted Pete Golding to the new full-time head coach once Kiffin left.
Rumors were floating that Baker could accept a job as the Florida Gators DC under Jon Sumrall or even be a candidate to replace Sumrall as the head coach of the Tulane Green Wave, but those have proved to be just that: rumors.
Baker has been the Tigers' DC since the start of the 2024 season and was tasked with fixing a disastrous situation on that side of the ball. He made some progress in his first year, but has created one of the best individual units in the nation in 2025.
Despite what their 7-5 record might imply, LSU had an incredible defense this season. The offense was just that dysfunctional. The Tigers allowed just 18.3 point per game this year, which was the 15th-best mark in the nation.
LSU's secondary and run stopping were it's calling cards, making the defense shine while the pass rush actually had some room to grow.
Baker received heavy NIL investment on that side of the ball before the year. With Kiffin being an offensive coach, those numbers might get eaten into a little bit, but the pieces are already in place to have another great squad in Baton Rouge.