Sources Tell Us Tulane Has Come to Terms with LSU DC
According to sources, LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker and Tulane Athletics have come to an agreement to make him the next head coach of the Tulane Green Wave football program.
Though we can confirm that no contract has been signed as of Friday afternoon, Baker and Tulane have agreed to a multi-year deal worth $4-million dollars a year, along with facility upgrades, according to our sources within the Tulane Athletic department.
Baker Has a Green Wave History
The Houston native was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at linebacker for Tulane from 2000-04. In 42 career games, he racked up 145 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and six sacks. In 2001 against LSU in Tiger Stadium, Baker recovered a fourth quarter fumble for the Green Wave. The following year he helped lead the Green Wave to a win in the 2002 Hawaii Bowl. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Tulane in 2008.
Knows How to Coach D
As its defensive coordinator, Baker transformed LSU defense in less than a year to one of the elite defenses in the SEC. LSU's defense showed strong performance this season, ranking around 15th-18th nationally in scoring defense (around 18.5 PPG) and in the top 30 for total defense, with specific stats like 15th in passing completion percentage allowed (58.1%) and around 30th in yards per play, indicating a solid, top-tier unit.
Tulane will not be making the announcement until after the American Conference championship game is complete.
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.