We've put it out there that I'm expecting to hear some changes with the LSU staff. As I mentioned previously in The Situation Room, I've already been hearing some names in connection with positions that are not yet open at LSU. To add to that, Willie Fritz taking the job at Houston, could potentially remove one of those options. One of the names I heard mentioned was Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker. I talked to multiple sources about Baker and one source told me that Brian Kelly has been in communication with him multiple times over the last five weeks. I'm going to be honest and tell you I don't know the details of those conversations or how frequently they occurred, just that I was told they happened. I was told by a different contact that Blake Baker would absolutely be interested in the LSU defensive coordinator position if it opened up. Would he take it? I don't know. Would he listen and have those conversations? Absolutely. The thing I can tell you though is that I was also told that he would actively pursue the Tulane job if Willie Fritz left for Houston, which appears to be all but finished at this point. Houston is closing in on signing Fritz, but Tulane is fighting to keep him but from the sounds of it I think Houston is going to win this battle.
I don't know if Baker would be on Tulane's short list or if they would even consider him, but I can tell you that Baker's name was brought up in connection to Houston at least very briefly but that talk died down pretty quickly because they wanted to bring in someone more established and proven to rebuild the program. But one thing is for sure and that's that Baker will certainly throw his hat in the ring and pursue that job.
With that said, he is not the only name I heard in connection with a possible defensive coordinator position there's at least one other power five coordinator with Louisiana ties that has been tied to a potential opening. What I don't know is, if Kelly was communicating with him as often as I was told he was communicating with Baker. So, we don't know 100% one way or another if Kelly is going to fire House or not. To be completely transparent, I have not been told that. What I was told is that I should expect some defensive staff changes. Should Matt House be one of those changes, there's two guys that would be at the top of that short list and have already been in contact with Brian Kelly.
There were a few position coaches I heard in connection with one of them and that's Corey Raymond which we've previously discussed in The Situation Room. Don't really have anything new to add to that. There's still one other position coach that was mentioned to me, he too has Louisiana ties. But he could potentially be making a deep playoff run depending on how the CFP shakes out.
One name that was brought up by a poster previously in regard to a potential defensive line opening (I can't remember which poster it was) was Karl Dunbar. I had mentioned that I was told two years ago (maybe longer than that) that he would be interested to come back home and would love to coach at LSU. I followed up on that to see if he was still interested and was told very shortly with not much elaboration that "He loves Pittsburgh", so I wouldn't expect him to be one of the options and to be honest I hadn't heard his name in any of the other conversations I've had just said I'd follow up on it from something a poster had mentioned so I figured I'd throw that in there as I'm typing this out.
I just wanted to share a little more on what I've been hearing. We'll continue to monitor the situation and as more becomes available; I'll pass along what I can.
I don't know if Baker would be on Tulane's short list or if they would even consider him, but I can tell you that Baker's name was brought up in connection to Houston at least very briefly but that talk died down pretty quickly because they wanted to bring in someone more established and proven to rebuild the program. But one thing is for sure and that's that Baker will certainly throw his hat in the ring and pursue that job.
With that said, he is not the only name I heard in connection with a possible defensive coordinator position there's at least one other power five coordinator with Louisiana ties that has been tied to a potential opening. What I don't know is, if Kelly was communicating with him as often as I was told he was communicating with Baker. So, we don't know 100% one way or another if Kelly is going to fire House or not. To be completely transparent, I have not been told that. What I was told is that I should expect some defensive staff changes. Should Matt House be one of those changes, there's two guys that would be at the top of that short list and have already been in contact with Brian Kelly.
There were a few position coaches I heard in connection with one of them and that's Corey Raymond which we've previously discussed in The Situation Room. Don't really have anything new to add to that. There's still one other position coach that was mentioned to me, he too has Louisiana ties. But he could potentially be making a deep playoff run depending on how the CFP shakes out.
One name that was brought up by a poster previously in regard to a potential defensive line opening (I can't remember which poster it was) was Karl Dunbar. I had mentioned that I was told two years ago (maybe longer than that) that he would be interested to come back home and would love to coach at LSU. I followed up on that to see if he was still interested and was told very shortly with not much elaboration that "He loves Pittsburgh", so I wouldn't expect him to be one of the options and to be honest I hadn't heard his name in any of the other conversations I've had just said I'd follow up on it from something a poster had mentioned so I figured I'd throw that in there as I'm typing this out.
I just wanted to share a little more on what I've been hearing. We'll continue to monitor the situation and as more becomes available; I'll pass along what I can.
