Baker Named Cowboys Defensive Line Coach
IRVING (105.3 THE FAN) - The Dallas Cowboys named Brian Baker as the team's defensive line coach on Wednesday. Baker replaces Paul Pasqualoni, who was the club's defensive line coach and interim defensive coordinator last season.
Baker comes to Dallas with 27 years of coaching experience, including 15 years of NFL coaching experience, with the last two as the Carolina Panthers defensive line coach.
In 2010 Baker led the charges of the Panthers defensive line that had three of its members finish in the top-10 on the team in tackles. Defensive end Charles Johnson paced the team with 11.5 sacks - tied for fourth in the league - while also leading the team with 27 pressures. Defensive end Tyler Brayton's 14 pressures were good for second while defensive end Greg Hardy tied for the squad lead with two forced fumbles.
Baker was named the Panthers defensive line coach on Feb. 13, 2009 following three years in the same position with the St. Louis Rams. In his first season with the Panthers, Baker led a unit through a solid season as his line accounted for 25.5 of the team's 33 sacks. His group's pass rush helped a defense that finished fourth in the NFL in both pass yards and percentage of passes intercepted.
Prior to arriving in Carolina, Baker spent three seasons coaching the Rams defensive line. In 2008 his squad tallied 20 of the defense's 30 sacks and finished 11th in the league in sacks-per-pass play. He coached both defensive end Leonard Little - tied for fifth in the league with 13 sacks - and tackle La'Roi Glover - finished sixth among NFC defensive tackles with 5.5 sacks - in 2006.
Leading up to his time with the Rams, Baker spent five years with the Minnesota Vikings serving as the defensive line coach (2001 and 2004-05) and as the team's linebackers coach (2002-03). His work with defensive tackle Kevin Williams led to Williams' first of six Pro Bowl selections in 2004. Williams also went on to earn AP All-Pro honors that same season, finishing with 11.5 sacks. Baker also mentored defensive end Lance Johnstone in 2004 to give the Vikings the third-most prolific sack duo in the league totaling 22.5 on the year.
From 1997-2000 Baker coached the defensive line for the Detroit Lions. Under his tutelage, the D-Line notched 120.5 sacks as defensive linemen Robert Porcher (1997 and 1999) and Luther Elliss (1999 and 2000) were selected to the Pro Bowl. Baker's 1998 and 1999 lines finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the league in sacks-per-pass play, and, in 1999, Porcher finished fourth all-time in club history with 15.0 sacks.
Baker made his NFL coaching debut as the defensive line coach for the San Diego Chargers in 1996 after working on the collegiate level for 12 years. His first stint in coaching came in 1984 at his alma mater, Maryland, as he coached outside linebackers. He then went to Army as fullbacks coach (1986), followed by a move to Georgia Tech to again coach linebackers (1987-95). He added defensive coordinator responsibilities in 1995. Under his guidance, the Yellow Jackets went on to claim the National Championship as the nation's only unbeaten team (11-0-1) in 1990.
Baker played outside linebacker at Maryland from 1981-83 and helped the Terps win the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1983. He earned his degree in marketing in 1985.
