Perhaps no other person in school history has ever experienced as many phases of the College’s evolving sports program as has Jerry Baker ’74. He saw it as a student, when the College first joined the state system and shed its Maroons moniker to become the Cougars. As assistant athletics director (1984–1989), Baker worked with the teams as they pushed for national dominance at the NAIA level (the men’s basketball team won a national championship in 1983). And as athletics director (1991–2007), he helped the Cougars transition from the world of Davids to the arena of Goliaths, when the College made the leap to NCAA Division I and began competing against (and defeating) some of the top names in college athletics.
Now, Baker is coming out of retirement and returning to his alma mater to lend his expertise at yet another critical juncture – this time as the College positions itself as a leader within the Colonial Athletic Association. Serving as executive director of the Cougar Club, Baker will now lead the fundraising arm of the Athletics Department, helping to raise support for student-athlete scholarships and athletics facility improvements.
“We are so very fortunate to have such a loyal following of supporters in the Cougar Club,” says Baker. “It’s a privilege to work with them to assist the outstanding young men and women who represent our institution and are pursuing their studies to earn a degree and improve their lives. It’s our shared goal to increase the opportunities for them to succeed.”
And judging by his storied past with the Maroon and White, Baker will help lead the Cougars to a legendary future.
