LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker has been reported as a candidate for both Tulane (his alma mater) and Memphis.
Here is what I know to be fact.
Baker's interview with Tulane that was made public on Monday was not an in-person interview, but rather over Zoom.
There were also reports that followed of Baker being interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at Memphis.
That came during the week of the Early Signing Period, a stretch when Baker has been at LSU Football Operations working to close out the recruiting class. On Tuesday evening, he was part of the conversations with Richard Anderson and Lane Kiffin and new GM Billy Glasscock.
I'm told by every source I've asked the same answer: Baker has been at the office every day this week, including Wednesday's Early Signing Period.
I also can confirm, directly from the mouths of parents and players he recruits on defense, that they have had conversations with him throughout the week about signing with LSU.
Baker does not know what the future holds, obviously. His wife is from Louisiana and played soccer at LSU. He's from Houston and played football at Tulane. They've made LSU home once already, then he got fired by Brian Kelly, then he got the chance to come back and work as the DC under Kelly. And, he is still in that position. It's long been said that the lone job Baker - one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in college football - wants to be at LSU, but if the Tulane head coaching job opened and was offered to him, he would have to mull it over. Given the aforementioned ties I mention to both LSU and Tulane for he and his wife, and in turn his kids, it's not an easy decision if it is ever put in front of him.
I'm told Lane Kiffin has told Baker he has the spot as LSU's defensive coordinator. If he does get offered another job and takes it, then we track it from there.
Until then, Baker is LSU's DC, is here in Baton Rouge, has been at LSU working all week, etc. Yes, it's unfortunate timing relative to signing prospects. But, it's the nature of the business and the current NCAA timelines of pushing Signing Day up to the first week of December.
Let's see how it unfolds, but no need to melt over every tweet made or report out there. Until something changes, he's at LSU, recruiting and handling all normal responsibilities he's tasked with.
