Matt Baker

Matt Baker is an American football coach and former quarterback who currently serves as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL), having previously spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as an offensive assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Prior to his coaching career, he spent four years as a journeyman quarterback in the NFL.

Player Profile, High School, and College Career

Matthew David Baker was born on May 11, 1983, in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. The Quarterback stands 191 cm tall, and his playing weight was listed at 98 kg.

He attended Brother Rice High School in Michigan, where he was a highly decorated two-sport athlete. He led his football team to a state championship and a 12–1 record during his senior year, earning All-State Dream Team honors. He was equally dominant in lacrosse, earning All-American and Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association Player of the Year honors in 2001.

Baker played college football for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels from 2002 to 2005. After spending his first three seasons patiently backing up starting quarterback Darian Durant, Baker took over the starting role during his senior year in 2005, finishing fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in passing yards. He graduated from UNC with a degree in economics.

Professional Playing Career

Following the 2006 NFL Draft, Baker was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Houston Texans. Over the next four years, he carved out a professional career primarily as a practice squad member and offseason roster addition.

He spent time absorbing offensive systems across the league, serving stints with the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys (where he served as the third-string quarterback behind Tony Romo and Drew Bledsoe), New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins, and the Buffalo Bills. His playing career ultimately concluded following the 2009 preseason in Buffalo.

Coaching Career

Following his playing days, Baker transitioned to the sidelines. He began his coaching journey as a graduate assistant at Ole Miss in 2010. After stepping away from the coaching profession for several years, he returned in 2019 as an offensive quality control coordinator at Western Michigan University.

He then moved to the Division III ranks, spending three highly successful seasons (2020–2022) at John Carroll University. Originally hired as the quarterbacks coach, he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022, guiding an offense that averaged 38.0 points and over 426 yards per game.

His success at the collegiate level earned him a return to the NFL. He spent the 2023 season as a special teams assistant for the Atlanta Falcons before being hired by Mike Tomlin as an offensive assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

In early 2026, he joined the Cleveland Browns staff to serve as their assistant quarterbacks coach.

Career Highlights:

None to show