This will be the official replacement of John Blake as DL coach. You will recall that UNC brought in Charles Coiner for to fill out the staff for the rest of the season.
Hey, you think they asked Brian Baker if he had any financial ties to agents or anything else the NCAA might find interesting in his background?
North Carolina has reached an agreement with Brian Baker to become its defensive line coach, according to a source familiar with the situation.
North Carolina identified the former Carolina Panthers defensive line coach as a top target towards the end of the 2010 NFL season. The Panthers announced in a news release that the contracts of head coach John Fox and his staff would not be renewed after the season finale at Atlanta on Sunday.
Baker was in Chapel Hill earlier this week to further negotiations. An official announcement is expected in the coming days.
I read “further negotiations” to mean an extensive review of Baker’s job history and check to see if he had any links to Keyser Soze.
Follow the link to read about Baker’s extensive experience on both the college and NFL level. Mike Solarte who covers sports in Charlotte called said Baker is “a solid guy, coach. Heels will benefit from him.” By all accounts this is a good hire. Obviously this is not a position that garners much focus unlike the coordinators. Still, these are often the assistants on a staff that make the biggest impact on the development of individual players. Almost as important is Baker’s role in recruiting. I have no idea how much experience he has in that area. I do know Butch Davis needs to be able to tell an elite defensive lineman prospect that Baker worked in the NFL and can help him make it to the next level. It sounds like UNC is getting that kind of coach in Baker.
