Brian Kelly details LSU’s new defensive staff hires
It was an offseason full of shakeups on the defensive side of the ball for LSU.
Following the ReliaQuest Bowl, the Tigers fired defensive coordinator Matt House and most of his staff. Replacing him is Blake Baker, who Brian Kelly recently commented on during his trip to the Senior Bowl.
“I got a chance to spend a little bit of time with Blake,” Kelly said. “But anytime there is a transition, it is very difficult to commit to anybody because you are bringing in a whole new philosophy and a way of doing things.
“I was impressed with him and then obviously, with the work he did at Missouri. And as an SEC opponent, we got a chance to see him first-hand. Was impressed with his work. His ability to recruit and certainly the relationships he built at LSU when he was here made him a logical choice.”
"Was impressed with his work. His ability to recruit. And then certainly the relationships that he built at LSU, when he was at LSU made him a logical choice."@LSUfootball Brian Kelly speaks on the hires of Blake Baker and Bo Davis. #LSU pic.twitter.com/I6YFQBCoWw
— Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) February 2, 2024
Joining Baker on the defensive staff are Bo Davis and Kevin Peoples, who will coach the defensive line, and Corey Raymond and Jake Olsen, who will work with the secondary.
It’s a return to LSU for both Davis and Raymond. Both are former LSU players and have been on staff before, with Raymond serving as a defensive backs coach from 2012-21. Baker and Olsen also previously coached at LSU.
“When we talk about the best defensive line coaches in the country, his name keeps coming up,” Kelly said. “I got a chance to spend some time with him and talk to him about returning to LSU. It wasn’t an easy decision for him. He was at a great school and a great program, but I think the ability to come back to LSU was attractive to him. The ability to build something here great was attractive.
“Certainly teaming him with Kevin Peoples, who is an outstanding defensive line coach who sometimes gets into the shadows but is, in his own right, one of the best in the business. I think we’ve got two outstanding coaches there that are going to do a great job.”
LSU will hope this new staff can reverse last season’s defensive woes, which held the team back despite the offense being one of the best in the country.
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