The Contract: LSU, Kiffin give DC Blake Baker a massive new deal

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin didn’t make a planned appearance in Atlanta on ESPN’s College GameDay, instead staying in Baton Rouge and locking up the future of the program’s defensive staff.

On Friday night, Kiffin took to social media with news of a final decision by LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker.

Would he stay at LSU, or would he accept potential head coach offers at programs like Memphis and Tulane, his alma mater.

The verdict: Baker will be back on the headset as LSU’s defensive coordinator next season.

“Sorry couldn’t make it to Atlanta, but so excited that I stayed to finish this all up! (Blake Baker) is going nowhere !!!!,” Kiffin posted to X. “What a really long amazing Friday for (LSU Football) #ItsDifferent.”

With LSU striking a new deal with one of the nation’s top coordinators, Baker is set to become one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in college football.

Baker’s new contract is a three-year worth $9.3 million deal – and plenty of incentives built in, according to a report from The Advocate.

Baker’s salary will begin at $3 million during the 2026 season and reach $3.2 million in 2028.

The Advocate reports that Baker could earn a $300,000 raise and a fourth-year option with a salary of $3.5 million if LSU finishes in the top 20 in scoring defense in any of his first three years.

In LSU’s two seasons with Baker as defensive coordinator, the Tigers finished No. 59 in total defense (24.3 points per game) in 2024. This season, Baker and the defensive staff – which is expected to largely stay in place following his decision to remain in Baton Rouge – finished No. 15 in scoring defense after allowing just 18.3 yards per game.

While Kiffin brought most of the Ole Miss on-field coaches with him from Oxford, and have reportedly added other coaches on offense, there had been no movement with LSU’s defensive staff over the first week of Kiffin’s tenure in Baton Rouge.

Now, it appears the staff will largely remain in place, sources tell The Bengal Tiger staff.

That means Baker as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Corey Raymond as defensive backs coach, Jake Olsen as safeties coach, Kevin Peoples as edge rushers coach, and Kyle Williams as interior defensive line coach.

With Williams, there has been growing buzz that the former LSU player turned NFL star is likely set to retire from college coaching to spend time with family following a lengthy professional career that led straight into coaching at Ruston, his high school alma mater, following his retirement from the Buffalo Bills.

After getting a call to join the LSU staff a year ago, Williams spent the past season on LSU Football’s staff.

On Friday, Syracuse assistant and former SEC assistant Elijah Robinson – one of the top defensive line coaches in college football – was on LSU’s campus. Robinson has been reported as a top target for Kiffin if Williams steps away from coaching, though no official announcement has been made.