Football Team Gets New Offensive, Defensive Coordinators

Looking to improve both sides of the line, Baylor football welcomed two new Bears this spring with the hiring of coordinators Dave Baldwin on offense and Bob Trott on defense.
Baldwin came to Baylor in January from the University of Cincinnati, where he spent the 2001 season as offensive coordinator. Before that, he spent four seasons running the offense at San Jose State University as head coach. His offensive philosophy and quarterback coaching style fit the profile head coach Kevin Steele says he wants. "It was an added bonus that he had done it as a head coach," Steele said.
With Baldwin running the offense, Cincinnati finished the 2001 season with an appearance in the Motor City Bowl, finishing in the top 40 nationally in total yards, passing yards and scoring while going 7-5. Despite that success, Baldwin decided the time was right to move to Baylor.
"It's Big 12 football," Baldwin said. "That in itself is a draw because it's the best football conference. The No. 2 draw was Kevin. When I did the research, everybody said the same thing: He's building a program, that it's on the rise and they're doing it the right way. They told me, 'If it's something you can be a part of, go for it.'"
Baldwin takes over an offense that last season racked up the most yards for a Bears' team since 1986 and ranked fourth in the Big 12 in passing yards per game.
Steele also gets a new hand running the defense. Trott, hired in May, brings 21 years of college and five seasons of NFL coaching experience to Baylor. 
'"It came down to Bob's wealth of knowledge and the fact he had been a longtime secondary coach, plus what some very good coaches he had coached with had to say about him," Steele said. 
An assistant to current Rice University head coach Ken Hatfield for many years, Trott spent six years at Air Force, six seasons at Arkansas and one year at Clemson. He then spent two years with the NFL's New York Giants before joining Bill Parcells' New England Patriots staff as secondary coach for three seasons. Since 1996, Trott has been at Duke University.
"To be a secondary coach in the NFL is not an easy job," Steele said. "He did it for five years and worked for one of the best defensive coaches in the history of the NFL."
Baldwin and Trott will work with Steele to continue to improve the football program.
"I think there's an excitement here with the players," Trott said. "Everything is there to show some success. We can build on that and have a nice year." 
 

Brown is assistant athletic media relations director and Internet coordinator in Baylor Athletics.