#defensive-coordinator

#defensive-coordinator

LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker is remaining with the program, coach Lane Kiffin said Friday on X. Baker, who has led LSU's defense the past two seasons, interviewed for head-coaching vacancies at Tulane and Memphis this week and was a strong candidate, sources said. But he instead will remain with Kiffin, who prioritized retaining Baker, one of the nation's highest-paid assistants at $2.5 million.

San Jose State not only had its hopes of becoming bowl eligible for a fourth straight season obliterated by a team that had not won a Mountain West Conference game since 2023, but on Monday it cost longtime defensive coordinator Derrick Odum and special teams coordinator Joe Palcic their jobs. Now the team looks to regroup Saturday night in San Diego against the Aztecs (8-2, 5-1 Mountain West), who have one of the staunchest defenses in the nation and need to win out to remain in the CFP chase.

"We've got a lot of stuff on defense that we've got to clean up and improve on," Lynn said. "So that's where all my focus is right now."