Missouri set to hire next defensive coordinator from within program

Blake Baker – who was recently hired as Missouri‘s safeties coach in January – is expected to be promoted to the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, per On3’s Matt Zenitz. Baker was added to Mizzou’s staff after spending the 2021 season at LSU as the team’s linebackers coach.

Baker, 39, has formerly held defensive coordinator roles at Miami (2019-20) and Louisiana Tech (2015-18). A Houston, Texas native, Baker played linebacker at Tulane from 2000-2004 and jumped into the coaching field in 2009 as the wide receivers coach Clear Springs High School in Texas. He worked as a graduate assistant at Texas from 2010-12 before being hired as Arkansas State’s safeties coach in 2013.

Following one season at Arkansas State, Baker spent the 2014 season as the safeties coach at Louisiana Tech before being promoted to defensive coordinator the following year. He spent five total seasons with the Bulldogs before moving on to Miami in 2019.

Baker will replace Steve Wilks, who recently left for an NFL coaching position with the Carolina Panthers.

Panthers land SEC defensive coordinator as new secondary coach

The Carolina Panthers have hired former Missouri defensive coordinator and NFL head coach Steve Wilks to become the defensive backs coach, according to team press release. Wilks spent one season at Missouri under Eli Drinkwitz in 2021 but returns to the NFL with a familiar team.

Steve Wilks previously served the Carolina Panthers from 2012-2017 as a defensive backs coach and assistant head coach. He took the defensive coordinator position in 2017 and served one season before taking the Arizona Cardinals head coaching position.

Although he lasted just one season with the Cardinals, he immediately joined the Cleveland Browns as defensive coordinator in 2019. After taking a year off in 2020, he returned to the college ranks for the first time since 2005 and stayed for just one season.

On3’s James Fletcher III contributed to this report.