Report: LSU expected to name Jake Olsen new safeties coach

Jake Olsen, a new addition to the LSU coaching staff this offseason, has finally slotted into an on-field role. Olsen will be the safeties coach for LSU, according to Matt Zenitz.

Olsen was previously on staff at Missouri as an analyst. He was hired around two weeks ago to join the LSU staff under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker, but his role wasn’t defined yet.

Olsen and Baker have joined the LSU staff as head coach Brian Kelly reshapes his roster of assistants heading into Year 3.

Olsen is one of several new defensive additions alongside Baker at LSU

Corey Raymond is set to return to LSU as a member of Brian Kelly’s staff, The Bengal Tiger’s Shea Dixon reported. He spent 10 seasons with the Tigers before joining Billy Napier at Florida for the last two years.

Raymond’s and LSU are “working to finalize the deal,” Dixon reported. During his first stint with the Tigers, Raymond was the defensive backs coach and cornerbacks coach.

Corey Raymond and Sean Spencer were let go earlier in the offseason in a move Napier said came down to a “tough decision.”

“I think part of leadership is making tough decisions and I think that, ultimately, we felt like we needed to make changes there,” Napier said. “New voices, new leaders, new teachers. Those are tough. A ton of respect for Sean and Corey. They’re exceptional at what we do but we felt we needed to make a change and certainly excited about the new faces we’ve been able to add.”

Kelly has overhauled the defensive staff this offseason, most notably parting ways with coordinator Matt House, among others. LSU then made quite a splash to replace him, landing Baker from  Missouri. In fact, the Tigers are making Baker the highest-paid assistant coach in the country.

LSU is set to give Baker a three-year contract worth $2.5 million per year, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported — an increase from the $2 million salary he was going to get from Missouri as part of a new contract extension. For comparison, Baker made $1.4 million as part of his previous deal with Mizzou, according to the On3 Coach Salaries Index.

By getting Baker to leave Missouri, LSU had to pay his $950,000 buyout, according to The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander.

Baker emerged as a top candidate for the LSU opening on Thursday after helping Missouri put together an impressive 2023 season. The Tigers ranked No. 5 in the SEC in total defense, holding teams to 336.1 yards per game.

On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.