Breaking Down LSU DC Blake Baker as the Potential Next Virginia Tech Head Coach

Is the LSU defensive coordinator a good fit in Blacksburg?

LSU Athletics

As Virginia Tech continues its search for its next head coach, a name that has emerged is LSU's defensive coordinator Blake Baker. He is quietly building a very impressive resume for someone who has never been a head coach. He is not the flashiest candidate, but Baker can bring back the kind of defensive-minded leader that Virginia Tech has been looking for.

Background/Resume:

Baker's football college career began when he played for Tulane from 2000 to 2004. In the 42 games he played, he recorded 145 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and six sacks.

He started coaching football in 2009 for Clear Springs High School in Texas. He has since moved up to the college ranks, making stops at places like Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Miami, Missouri and now LSU.

He has been the defensive coordinator for the Tigers since 2024. He took over a LSU team that, the year prior, had the highest scoring offense, led by Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas. That team missed out on the College Football Playoffs because of how poor the defense was that year. It gave up 33 points a game in conference play, so Baker had a lot to fix when he took over in 2024.

The defense improved slightly in Baker's first year, giving up just over 26 points a game. Where Baker has really turned heads is with the work he has done this year. His defense is allowing only 11.8 points per game, good for fifth in the country. He held a dangerous offense in Ole Miss to just 24 points.

Pluses:

• Defensive Strength and Credibility: Baker has been able to turn around one of the worst defenses in the SEC in just a couple years to one of the best units in all of college football. One of the traits Baker’s defenses are known for is being able to generate turnovers. In the six games LSU has played this year, they have intercepted eight passes, tied for first in the SEC.
• Power Conference Experience: He has already experienced what the best offenses in the country have to offer from his time in the SEC at both LSU and Missouri. He also knows what it takes to find success in the ACC. From 2019 to 2020, he was the defensive coordinator and inside linebacker coach for Miami. Baker understands the challenges that ACC teams offer and how to beat it.
• Energy and Relatability: At 41, Baker is a part of a new generation of college coaches who are able to connect with players in a modern way without losing old-school discipline. Players who have played for Baker have spoken very highly of him. He is also able to tailor his defensive system to the players on his team, rather than forcing players into a rigid system. That flexibility would be valuable for Virginia Tech who will need to find its new identity under a new coach.

Minuses:

• No Head Coaching Experience: The biggest concern with Baker is the unknowability of how he will perform as a head coach. He has been the defensive coordinator at major programs, but has not had the responsibility of leading an entire football team. As a coach, he will have to be responsible for making sure both sides of the ball are performing well, balancing staff, handling media, making sure players are staying on top of their academics and so much more. Virginia Tech’s next coach will need to do more than just call plays. They will have to rebuild the program’s culture and identity. That is a tough ask for a first-time head coach.
• Limited Offensive Input: There is no denying that Baker is a quality, defensive-minded coach, but there is concern about what kind of offense he will be able to produce as a first-time head coach. Baker will need to hire a great offensive mind to run his offense effectively. If Baker were to be hired at Virginia Tech, one of the most important decisions he would have to make is who his offensive coordinator will be.
• Possible Hesitation to Leave LSU: Baker just returned to LSU after being its linebacker coach in 2021. Right now, he has a really strong defense and might not want to uproot his life for a program like Virginia Tech that will require a lot of tender love and care to return to its winning days. The Tigers are consistently one of the best teams in the country and he might just want to stay where he knows he will win. Virginia Tech will have to give him an offer that is hard to refuse to coach in Blacksburg.

Is he a realistic option?

Baker is a compelling candidate and the upside of his track record could be really good for Virginia Tech. Whether or not he comes to coach in Blacksburg depends on whether the hiring committee thinks it is worth the risk of hiring a first-time head coach. And secondly, it is on him if he wants to leave the good thing he has going at LSU and come to Virginia Tech, a program that is in a complete rebuild stage.