Tag: Blake Baker

A look at LSU football’s complete new-look coaching staff

After a month of shuffling, here’s LSU’s updated coaching staff.

After a month of shuffling, Brian Kelly’s 2024 LSU coaching staff is set.

The 2024 staff will look a lot different than the one you saw last year. There will be new coordinators on both sides of the ball and the defensive side of the ball is almost completely new.

A few of these guys might be new to the Kelly era at LSU, but they’re familiar faces, having made stops in Baton Rouge in the past. Nearly every member of the staff is a Louisiana native or has previous coaching experience within the state.

Here’s a rundown of LSU’s 2024 coaching staff.

Former LSU defensive coordinator Matt House hired as Jaguars LB coach

Matt House is heading back to the NFL after he and most of the on-field defensive staff were dismissed at LSU.

Former LSU defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag] is heading back to the NFL.

On Wednesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that House would be joining the Jacksonville Jaguars as a linebackers coach. He’s returning the professional ranks, where he served as the linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2019-21 before he was hired at LSU.

House joined Brian Kelly’s staff with quite a bit of hype, but after solid results defensively in 2022, the Tigers’ unit regressed significantly, becoming one of the worst in the nation. House, along with nearly the entire on-field defensive staff, was dismissed following the ReliaQuest Bowl win over Wisconsin.

He was replaced with [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who served as the defensive coordinator at Missouri over the last two seasons.

House has made multiple stops in both the college and NFL ranks during his career. He was previously an assistant with the Rams and Panthers, and he served as a college defensive coordinator at Kentucky, Florida International and Pittsburgh.

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Ranking the five best LSU DBs coached by Corey Raymond

Corey Raymond is back in Baton Rouge. Here are the top five players from his first stint as DBs coach.

[autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] is back in Baton Rouge.

Raymond rose to prominence in the 2010s coaching LSU’s defensive backs, where he assembled some of the sport’s most talented units year after year.

He wasn’t retained upon Brian Kelly’s arrival in 2021, but after LSU’s secondary struggled in 2023, Kelly is bringing back a familiar face.

According to The Advocate, Raymond’s deal is two years with a team option in Year 3. Raymond will be joined by [autotag]Jake Olsen[/autotag], who was named safeties coach.

With Raymond back, it’s time to take a look at some of the best players Raymond coached in his lengthy stint at LSU.

LSU hires Missouri analyst Jake Olsen as safeties coach

Jake Olsen will take an on-field role at LSU after serving as an analyst under new DC Blake Baker at Missouri.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Missouri analyst [autotag]Jake Olsen[/autotag] would be following newly hired defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] to LSU, but it wasn’t clear whether that would be in an on-field or off-field capacity.

Now, we have our answer.

Olsen is set to join the Tigers staff as the safeties coach. He will work alongside [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], who was rehired to coach defensive backs following a two-year stint in the same role at Florida.

Before working with Baker at Missouri, Olsen was an analyst under him on LSU’s staff in 2021. He previously worked at Northwestern State, serving in various roles including as recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator.

With Olsen taking an on-field role, the Tigers’ staff is almost complete. The only spot left to fill is the vacant offensive coordinator role left when [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] took the same job at Notre Dame.

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LSU reportedly adding Missouri analyst to coaching staff

Jake Olsen followed Blake Baker from LSU to Missouri, and he’s reportedly following him back.

The Tigers are already working to finalize a hire for the coaching staff in [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], who is reportedly close to a deal to return to LSU after two years at Florida.

But that’s not the only impending move the Tigers are making as another familiar face is reportedly set to make his return. According to On3’s Billy Embody, they are close to adding Missouri defensive analyst [autotag]Jake Olsen[/autotag] to the staff. Olsen’s role is still to be determined.

Olsen has worked with new LSU defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] for the last two seasons, and he was an analyst with the Tigers prior to the coaching change following the 2021 season, following Baker to Missouri.

Olsen has also spent time at Louisiana-Monroe, Nicholls and Northwestern State, where he served as a recruiting coordinator and later the special teams coordinator.

He worked with safeties at Missouri, and that could be the role he finds himself in if LSU ultimately chooses to split defensive back coaching duties after hiring Raymond.

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What LSU fans should know about new defensive assistant Kevin Peoples

Here’s what you should know about new LSU assistant Kevin Peoples.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and LSU continue to build their new look defensive staff. Following the arrival of defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], LSU added two assistants to work with the defensive line: [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag].

For Davis, it was a return 20 years in the making as one of the most high profile assistants in the country returns to Baton Rouge.

Peoples comes with Baker after spending the last two years at Missouri together. He’s primarily set to work with pass rushers while Davis will handle the interior.

Here are some things to know about Peoples as he joins the LSU staff.

Report: LSU hiring Missouri DL coach Kevin Peoples as an assistant coach

Kevin Peoples worked with new LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker at Missouri over the last two seasons.

LSU has already hired Texas defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag], but it isn’t done shoring up its front on defense.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Tigers are also set to hire Missouri defensive line coach [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag] to the staff. Peoples spent the last two seasons at Mizzou coaching edge rushers specifically and working with [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag], who LSU recently hired as its new defensive coordinator.

Peoples has an extensive track record coaching the defensive line, serving in that role at Indiana, Tulane, Arkansas, UAB and Arkansas State, as well. Though it’s not clear exactly what role Peoples and Davis will occupy on the staff, it’s been speculated that Peoples will coach the edge while Davis will work with the interior.

LSU still has an opening for its secondary after it fired both cornerbacks coach [autotag]Robert Steeples[/autotag] and safeties coach [autotag]Kerry Cooks[/autotag].

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Report: LSU seeking to add another SEC defensive assistant to staff after Bo Davis hire

Brian Kelly is not messing around when it comes to rebuilding the defensive staff.

LSU filled one of its open defensive assistant coach positions on Wednesday, hiring Texas defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] away. However, the Tigers are not yet done pursuing assistant coaches from conference foes.

After hiring away Missouri’s [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] as the new defensive coordinator, the Tigers are after another Mizzou staffer in defensive line coach [autotag]Kevin Peoples[/autotag], according to a report from Football Scoop.

Peoples previously worked at Tulane and Indiana, and he’s worked under Baker in Columbia for the past two seasons. Football Scoop’s Zach Barnett speculates that Peoples could be targeted for a job coaching the edge rushers while Davis focuses on the interior.

He also reports that Missouri is still trying to retain Peoples.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] opted to clean house on the defensive side of the ball after a disappointing season. There are still a few spots that need to be filled, but the new-look defensive staff is off to a promising start.

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BREAKING: LSU hires Texas’ Bo Davis as defensive line coach

Bo Davis is coming back to Baton Rouge.

LSU’s defense was one of the worst defenses in the country last year.

Due to that, LSU brass decided to clean the slate and try to get LSU back to being a dominant team on defense. To start, the Tigers hired [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] away from Missouri and brought him back to Baton Rouge where he served as a linebacker coach before [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] arrived on campus.

That was one step in the right direction. Now, the Tigers have made another by bringing [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] back to Baton Rouge to serve as the defensive line coach. Davis played nose guard at LSU from 1990-92 and he served as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Tigers from 2002-2005.

Davis has served as the defensive line coach for Texas for the past three years where he helped lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoffs this season.

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LSU left thin at defensive tackle after Maason Smith declares for draft

LSU is left thin at defensive tackle after Maason Smith declared for the draft.

LSU’s [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] declared for the NFL draft on Tuesday evening, joining fellow defensive lineman [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag].

There was originally some optimism that Smith and Wingo would return, giving LSU a solid foundation to build on up front. Now, new defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] is stuck looking for answers on the interior defensive line.

At the moment, LSU returns [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag]. Guillory played 258 snaps last year, and he’s competent but never occupied a role as a full-time starter. Lee played just 52 snaps after transferring in from Florida.

LSU’s stuck in this position now after failing to sign a single defensive tackle in the 2023 class and coming up empty in the transfer portal thus far.

Last offseason, I wrote about how having two elite players at defensive tackle can change your defense. Just look at what having Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis did for Georgia on its title run. Look at how Texas‘ strength at defensive tackle took that program to the next level in 2023.

The hope was that Smith and Wingo would do that for LSU last year. But that never panned out as Smith took a while to get going after returning and Wingo missed the second half of the season.

This is the SEC, and it’s going to get even tougher with Oklahoma and Texas joining. You can’t be thin up front, especially in the middle of the defensive line.

There doesn’t appear to be an immediate solution. Just two of the top 25 transfer defensive tackles remain uncommitted, according to 247Sports. LSU does have a solid group of interior defensive linemen in its high school class, including headliner [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], but you can’t count on those guys to be ready right away.

Kelly and whoever takes over the defense have their hands full. There’s usually another wave of transfers following spring practice. LSU will need to hold onto everything it has on the defensive line while hoping a couple of difference-makers hit the portal.

The defense was already going to take a year or two to rebuild with how young the secondary is, but losing Wingo and Smith up front just made the job tougher.

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