The LSU Staff: A Dive Into Brian Kelly's New-Look Assistant Coaches
LSU head coach Brian Kelly has had an eventful offseason as he prepares for Year 3 in Baton Rouge, and after an underwhelming 2023 season defensively, he's made a handful of new hires.
The Tigers went out and made splash hire after splash hire. Kelly retooled his defensive assistants while also tweaking his offensive staff as well.
Defensively, LSU fired the entire on-field staff with Kelly bringing in a new-look group headlined by defensive coordinator Blake Baker.
Along with Baker handling coordinator duties, Kelly reeled in Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis. The pair of elite-level hires stole headlines, but it didn't stop there for this program.
LSU went out and added Louisiana legend Corey Raymond to the staff to handle defensive back duties moving forward.
Now, with the addition of Baker, Davis and Raymond, along with EDGE coach Kevin Peoples and safeties coach Jake Olsen, the new-look defensive staff is complete.
On offense, the changes were minimal, but the program made sure to elevate the staff.
Kelly promoted quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan and wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton as co-offensive coordinators. Sloan will serve as the primary play-caller while Hankton will play a pivotal role in play design and the passing game.
On Wednesday, Kelly added the final piece to his staff after hiring Tulane offensive coordinator Slade Nagle.
Nagle will take over as the program's tight ends coach after former LSU offensive coordinator/TE coach Mike Denbrock accepted a job with Notre Dame.
The New-Look Staff:
Co-OC/QBs: Joe Sloan
Co-OC/WRs: Cortez Hankton
TEs: Slade Nagle
DC/LBs: Blake Baker
DL: Bo Davis
EDGE: Kevin Peoples
CBs: Corey Raymond
Safeties: Jake Olsen
A Deep Dive Into the Defensive Moves:
Blake Baker: Defensive Coordinator
Baker joins the LSU staff after serving as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Missouri for the past two seasons. Baker coached the linebackers at LSU in 2021. Prior to that, he served as the defensive coordinator at Miami (Fla.) in 2019-20 and at Louisiana Tech from 2015-18. He brings eight years of defensive coordinator experience to the LSU program.
“Blake brings a wealth of experience and success as a defensive coordinator throughout his career, including the last two years in the SEC at Missouri,” Kelly said. “His ability to develop and motivate his players while putting together highly successful defenses sets him apart in his field. I am excited to welcome Blake and his family back to Baton Rouge.”
Baker’s 2023 Missouri defense played a huge role in the Tigers going 11-2 overall and capping the season with a 14-3 win over No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Missouri’s 11 wins were the most for the school in nearly a decade. In the win over Ohio State, Missouri held the Buckeyes without a touchdown for the first time since the 2016 season.
Bo Davis: Defensive Line
Davis joins the LSU staff after spending the past three seasons at Texas where he helped the Longhorns reach the College Football Playoffs in 2023 with one of the nation’s top defenses. Davis spent six years with the Longhorns, first as defensive tackles coach from 2011-13 and then as defensive line coach from 2021-23.
Davis played for the Tigers in the early 1990s, served as a graduate assistant with the football program from 1995-97 and was a member of the strength and conditioning staff when LSU won the 2003 national championship.
Davis returns to LSU with a history of developing some of the top defensive linemen in college football. In 12 years of coaching the defensive line in college football, Davis has produced 17 all-conference selections and seven all-Americans. He’s also coached players who have won the Outland Trophy, the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12 and Conference USA, along with the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
“As a defensive line coach Bo brings a wealth of proven success at both the professional and collegiate level throughout his distinguished career,” Kelly said. “Additionally, coach Davis is an outstanding recruiter and developer of the players in his charge. I am excited to welcome back to LSU coach Bo Davis.”
Davis has been part of three national championships during his collegiate career, winning the 2003 title at LSU along with championships at Alabama in 2009 and 2015 as the defensive line coach for the Crimson Tide.
Kevin Peoples: Defensive Line
Kelly and Co. will bring Missouri defensive line coach Kevin Peoples to Baton Rouge as a defensive assistant. ESPN's Pete Thamel first reported the news.
After LSU made the move to hire Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker, all attention turned to how he would fill out his staff. The Tigers reeled in Bo Davis as the defensive line coach and certainly weren't done in that area.
Peoples adds to what Kelly is forming on defense. That being, an elite-level staff. The likelihood is that he focuses on the defensive ends/EDGE rushers.
A coach who has as a working relationship with newly named defensive coordinator Blake Baker, it's a match made in heaven. He understands how Baker operates as a coordinator while also spending four years at Tulane as its defensive line coach.
Peoples has been known for his development with EDGE rushers and is set to form a dynamic tandem alongside Davis.
Corey Raymond: Cornerbacks
He's back. LSU is finalizing a deal with Corey Raymond to return as the next defensive backs coach of the Tigers after a stint at Florida.
The anticipation is that he will take on duties with the cornerbacks, but a title is still being worked out, sources tell LSU Country.
Raymond, an architect to the "DBU" tradition in Baton Rouge, makes his way back to Death Valley for a second run with the Bayou Bengals.
Raymond spent 10 seasons with the Tigers before Brian Kelly’s arrival to Baton Rouge ahead of the 2022 season.
Raymond then coached the defensive backs at Florida for two seasons under Billy Napier before the two sides parted ways.
Raymond’s secondary has produced seven First-Team All-Americans during his time at LSU, a list that includes Eric Reid (2012), Jalen Mills (2015), Jamal Adams (2016), Tre’Davious White (2016), Greedy Williams (2018), Grant Delpit (2018 and 2019) and Derek Stingley Jr. (2019, 2020).
Jake Olsen Safeties
Olsen has been on LSU's staff in the past before taking on a role with Blake Baker's defense at Missouri. A coach that is on the rise, he now gets his chance to take on a major role with LSU.
Baker’s group finished ranked 38th in total defense and 41st in scoring defense, allowing 347.2 yards and 22.3 points per game last season. Olsen assisted with the safeties, which Baker coached in Columbia as well.
Now, Olsen rejoins Baker's staff in Baton Rouge with the Tigers finalizing his deal to make his return to LSU.
Brian Kelly has now finalized his on-field defensive staff after adding Olsen to the group.
