2004-05 MENS Basketball

Jim Baker - Head CoachJim Baker enters his fifteenth season as the head coach of themen’s basketball program at Catawba. During the last elevenyears, Baker has guided the Indians to the NCAA II Tournamentseven times. His teams have won nearly 65% of their games andhave an impressive home record of 162-45 (78.3%). Catawba hasa 84-51 record in games decided by five points or less undercoach Baker. During his tenure, Catawba has produced three conferencePlayers of the Year and two All-Americans. The Indianshave graduated 34 of 38 seniors under Baker.In 2006-2007, Baker was voted SAC Coach of the Year for thefifth time as Catawba won the league title and earned a spot inthe NCAA II Regional Tournament. In 2004-05, Baker earned SACCoach of the Year honors as the Indians claimed the conferencetitle and advanced to the NCAA II Tournament. In 2004,Catawba became the lowest seed (#7) to win the league tournament,earning a regional tournament berth. After a 25-5 seasonand a third South Atlantic Conference title in 2001, Baker wasnamed league Coach of the Year. Baker was named SAC andNCAA II Region Coach of the Year in 1998, after Catawba posteda 25-6 record. He also earned SAC Coach of the Year honors in1996, after he guided the Indians to their first conference titlesince 1983. His 16 victories in his first season was the most everfor a first-year basketball coach at Catawba. He has a 264-145record over his first fourteen seasons and ranks second all-timein coaching victories at Catawba.Baker came to Catawba from Virginia Military Institute, wherehe had been an assistant coach for two seasons. He also hadNCAA Division I experience as an assistant at Virginia Tech(1989-91) and Davidson (1981-89). Baker came to Catawba inJune 1993, as anassistant coach duringSam Moir’s finalcampaign as headcoach. Moir retiredin May 1994, endinga great 34-yearcareer at Catawba.Baker, a dean’slist student atCatawba beforegraduating in 1978,played for Moirfrom 1975-78. He transferred from UNC-Charlotte and was a partof two 20-win seasons at Catawba. He was a member of the1976-77 Carolinas Conference Championship team and three ofhis former teammates, Benny Callahan, Eric Harris and HermanMiles are in the Catawba Sports Hall of Fame.Baker began his coaching career as a graduate assistant forMoir in 1978-79 and at Wingate the next year, while earning amaster’s degree in human development and learning at UNC-Charlotte. He was also an assistant coach at Belmont Abbey(1980-81).Baker worked under Bobby Hussey at Davidson, Frankie Allenat Virginia Tech and Joe Cantafio at VMI. At Davidson, Baker waspart of a program which graduated 25 of 26 student athletes. Inaddition, the Wildcats put together back-to-back 20-win seasons(1986-87) and appeared in the 1986 NCAA Southeast Regional.While Baker was at Virginia Tech, the Hokies became only thethird team in Metro Conference history to sweep both MemphisState and Louisville in the same year. At VMI, Baker was responsiblefor recruiting, scouting, practice and bench coaching, publicspeaking, summer camps and scheduling.All of VMI’s seniors graduated during Baker’s stay there and hewas part of an outstanding recruiting class in 1992-93, which sawthree freshmen make the starting lineup.In addition to editing and publishing a monthly basketballnewsletter (“Time Out”), Baker has published four booklets:“Power Post Play,” “Striving for Excellence,” and “The Best ofTime Out, Books One and Two.” This year, Baker released a oneof a kind basketball CD-Rom “The Best of Time Out”.Baker’s ties to the international players in his program comefrom doing camps and clinics abroad. He has conducted bothcamps and clinics in Belgium, France, Iceland, Luxembourg,Barbados and Costa Rica. He has also served as the U.S. advisorto the Belgium Women’s Olympic basketball team.Baker comes from a strong sports family. Both his mother andfather were outstanding athletes and his dad, Walt, coached himat North Rowan High School where he graduated in 1974. Thefield house at North Rowan is named in his dad’s honor. Hisbrother, Chip, is a longtime assistant baseball coach at FloridaState.Baker and his wife, the former Tina Waters, reside in Concord.They have four children, Jamie (10), Madison (7) and Hannah (6)and Jacob (2).- 7 -