Lane Kiffin, LSU Football Sign Top Assistant to Mega Contract As Details Emerge

Kiffin and Co. retain the elite defensive coordinator, new details emerge on lucrative contract.

Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers received significant news on Friday night after defensive coordinator Blake Baker revealed he will bypass an opportunity to become Tulane's next head coach and will remain in Baton Rouge.

Once Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge last Sunday, he made his intentions clear on the staffers that he wanted to retain heading into the 2026 season with Baker at the top of his list.

But the elite assistant coach became a hot commodity on the coaching carousel with the Tulane Green Wave and Memphis Tigers interviewing him for their vacancies.

Baker, a Tulane alumnus, quickly surged to the top as the No. 1 target for the Green Wave where a decision loomed for the LSU Tigers on if he would accept the gig.

Across his time in the Bayou State, Baker has elevated the LSU defense into one of the top units in the Southeastern Conference where he took the group to new heights in 2025.

Courtesy of Blake Baker's Instragram.

In 2025 under Baker's watch at LSU, he brought the Tigers into the Top-25 of total defense while also sitting among the Top-15 in turnovers gained with 21 in total over 12 games this fall.

LSU’s defense ranked in the top half of the SEC across the 2025 campaign after allowing 319.7 yards per game.

Bakers unit also held teams to 18.3 points on average, which ranked fourth in the conference.

Those were both improvements from 2024 when LSU gave up 364.4 yards and 24.3 points per game in Baker’s first season as defensive coordinator.

"I think our trust in Coach Baker, our buy-in to what he's teaching us and what he's preaching to us. He brings energy every single day, so it's hard not to bring energy when the boss man is bringing it," LSU linebacker Whit Weeks said this season of what Baker provides the Tigers.

Courtesy of LSU Football.

Now, the official details of Baker's new lucrative deal have been revealed by The Baton Rouge Advocate.

Baker has signed a three-year deal worth $9.3 million where he surges to the top as one of the highest paid assistants in the sport. He will make over $3 million per season.

It'a a mega-contract for LSU's defensive coordinator as Kiffin and Co. look to keep the bright defensive mind in Baton Rouge as the new era of Tigers football begins under new leadership.

More LSU News:

LSU Football Hires Elite Offensive Coordinator, Five Assistant to Lane Kiffin's Staff

Three Takeaways From Lane Kiffin's Introductory Press Conference With LSU Football

Lane Kiffin Reveals How Nick Saban, Pete Carroll Influenced Decision to LSU Football

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Tigers On SI: @LSUTigersSI for all coverage surrounding the LSU Tigers.