'He checks all the boxes as a coach': New Texas assistant Kenny Baker quickly gets to work
The Texas football team officially filled out its coaching staff on Tuesday with the announced hiring of Kenny Baker.
Baker will replace Bo Davis as UT's defensive line coach. He spent the past season as an assistant defensive line coach with the Miami Dolphins, but has coached at the collegiate level with Western Kentucky, UT-Chattanooga, Mercer and Berry College.
Reports about Baker's impending hire began circulating last week.
"He brings a ton of energy, experience, and passion for the job, and I know our players, coaches and staff will love working with him," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said in a statement. "Everywhere he’s been, the defenses he’s helped coach have played at a high level, and they’ve all been aggressive, attacking defenses like ours here. Kenny has a tremendous track record of developing players and being a teacher of the game, and he has coached a lot of outstanding defensive lineman while working in high school, college, and the NFL. He checks all the boxes as a coach, will be a tremendous developer of men and will fit in great with us."
Had a great time talking with you today @CoachK_Baker pic.twitter.com/iqqPWEQ72Q
— landon rink 4🌟 (@landonrink) January 30, 2024
In a press release issued by Texas, Baker was quoted as saying that "it was a no-brainer that I wanted the job." Baker also got to work on Tuesday. Landon Rink, a four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle, posted a picture of himself with Baker on social media and thanked the coach for stopping by Houston Cypress-Fairbanks High for a conversation.
Baker is one of two coaches that Sarkisian has hired this offseason, as he tabbed Arizona's Johnny Nansen to succeed Jeff Choate as the co-defensive coordinator and to coach Texas' inside linebackers. Choate left Texas to take over the football program at Nevada while LSU hired away Davis to coach its defensive linemen.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas announces hire of assistant football coach Kenny Baker