Sean Baker enters his first season as defensive/special teams assistant and third season with the Houston Texans in 2024. Baker initially joined the Texans after serving as a coaching analyst with LSU in 2020. He went to LSU after spending two seasons as the linebackers coach (2018-19) and one season as a defensive quality control coach (2017) with Youngstown State.
In 2022, Baker helped the Texans special teams unit rank first in the NFL in average return yards allowed on kickoffs (19.0) and in opponents average starting field position (22.2 yard-line). P Cameron Johnston landed 37 punts inside the 20-yard line (tied for second most in the league) while K Ka'imi Fairbairn connected on a career-high 93.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 100 percent of his extra point attempts. Fairbairn tied K Kris Brown's franchise record for most games with 10-or-more points scored on special teams in franchise history after converting three field goals and two extra points (11 points) at Dallas in Week 14. Under Baker and Ross, the special teams unit finished first in the prestigious Rick Gosselin 2022 NFL Special Teams Rankings.
In his first NFL season with the Texans, Baker helped coach DB Tremon Smith, who earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after posting a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown at Jacksonville on Dec. 19, 2021. The play marked the first Texans kickoff return touchdown since Week 4 of the 2009 season. Under Baker's tutelage, Johnston ranked seventh with 43.2 percent of his punts placed inside of the 20-yard line. Additionally, Fairbairn set the NRG Stadium and franchise record with a career-long 61-yard field goal and ended the season with an active streak of 60 consecutive field goals made from within 40 yards (dating back to the 2017 season) after going nine-for-nine in 2021.
Prior to joining the Texans, Baker served as a coaching analyst at LSU in 2020. The Tigers 2020 campaign was highlighted by an upset win at No. 6 Florida, in which 26-of-48 players who appeared in the game were either freshmen or sophomores.
For two seasons (2018-19), Baker worked as the linebackers coach for Youngstown State. Under Baker in 2019, seniors Cash Mitchell and Christiaan Randall-Posey had the most efficient years of their collegiate careers. Mitchell finished with 38 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and returned a fumble for a touchdown, while Randall-Posey had 29 tackles on the year. In 2018, the unit had a strong season led by senior Armand Dellovade, who earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors after leading the Penguins with 102 total tackles. Baker served as a defensive quality control coach for the Penguins in 2017, primarily working with the linebacker unit.
As a player, Baker signed as a college free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 and would go on to spend time with the Browns, Falcons and Colts on their practice squads throughout his career. He appeared in five games for the Falcons in 2014, primarily seeing action on special teams.
Baker was a standout defensive back at Ball State (2007-11) where he set the school record for career interceptions with 18. In 46 career games (43 starts), he accumulated 320 total tackles (166 solo), 21 pass breakups, 19 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries with the Cardinals. He was also a two-time All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) honoree, earning first-team honors as a senior in 2011.
At Canfield (Ohio) High School, Baker was an All-Conference player on both sides of the ball. As a senior, he was named the Northeast Ohio and Metro Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In his junior season, he helped Canfield make its first ever appearance in the state championship game. Baker was high school teammates with Frank Ross, the Texans special teams coordinator since 2021.
Baker was born in Youngstown, Ohio. He and his wife, Anna, have one son named Bear.
