Missouri football officially promoted safeties coach Blake Baker, 39, to defensive coordinator in late February. The move comes after Baker joined head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s staff at the beginning of the offseason. Baker spent the 2021 season serving as linebackers coach for the LSU Tigers.
Baker will replace former Tigers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, 52, who spent the 2021 season in that role. Wilks returned to the NFL, joining the Carolina Panthers as the franchise’s defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach.
“After reflecting and thinking about what’s best for our program, I felt like promoting Blake Baker to the defensive coordinator alongside D.J. Smith becoming the co-defensive coordinator would allow for us cohesiveness in that room,” Drinkwitz said.
Newly promoted co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator D.J. Smith has served as Missouri’s linebackers coach since 2019. Smith will continue his role as linebackers coach in conjunction with his co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator roles.
“Blake has experience calling defense, experience in this league and experience putting it together,” Drinkwitz said. “I look forward to a collaborative effort to continue to improve our defense.”
The Tigers will look to turn their defense around under Baker. Last season, Missouri’s defense struggled, giving up 33.8 points per game, which ranked No. 113 in the nation. A few of the more disappointing defensive efforts of the 2021 season included giving up 62 points to the high-powered Tennessee Volunteers, 43 to the eventual national champions, the Georgia Bulldogs and 41 points to the Boston College Eagles. The Tigers allowed 5,345 total yards, second worst in the Southeastern Conference, while giving up a conference-worst 229.3 rushing yards per game.
From 2015-2018, Baker served as the defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs’ defense peaked in 2018 during Baker’s tenure with the nation’s No. 39 scoring defense. The following season Baker joined the Miami Hurricanes under the same position and led the Hurricanes to No. 23 in scoring defense nationally.
In 2020, Miami ranked No. 51 in scoring defense and No. 42 in ESPN’s defensive efficiency rating. For comparison, the Tigers finished No. 85 in scoring defense and No. 93 in defensive efficiency in the same season.
Drinkwitz and Baker have a previous connection at Arkansas State where both coaches helped the Red Wolves to an 8-5 record in 2013. Ironically enough, that Red Wolves team traveled to Columbia and lost to Missouri 41-19.
Baker will be the Tigers’ fifth defensive coordinator change in the last seven years. The Tigers have had a revolving door of Barry Odom (2015), DeMontie Cross (2016-2017), Ryan Walters (2018-2020), Wilks (2021) and now Baker. In comparison, from 2001-2015 Missouri only had three defensive coordinators: Matt Eberflus (2001-2008), Dave Steckel (2009-2014) and Odom. The Tigers hope to have found some stability at the defensive coordinator position.
Edited by Brandon Haynes | bhaynes@themaneater.com
