California hires Baker as boys basketball coach

Brent Baker doesn’t want to be called Dr. Dr. or Dr. Baker, but the newly hired California boys basketball coach wants his team to play lock-down defense to complement their athleticism and scoring and continue to improve throughout. the season.

Baker, a research scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), was on Brandon Lawless’s staff at Jefferson-Morgan before deciding to apply for the job in California.

“It was a tough decision for me to make,” Baker said. “I’d say me and Brandon were more of a brotherhood than a friendship, so I had to talk to my family and him about it.

“I was the football coach at Jefferson-Morgan two years ago and I had Brandon on my staff,” Baker said. “I also coached him when he was in seventh grade. He did a great job there and I hope I can do the same for California.”

Baker, who does his work in Morgantown, knows the Trojans have the ability to score, but the old adage “defense wins championships” holds true for the 1996 Albert Gallatin graduate.

“I’m really excited to see what we can do,” Baker said. “I see a similar situation to what Coach Lawless and I had at Jefferson-Morgan in that he had a team that could score, but the defense wasn’t always there. We may not have won all the time, but we’ve always been in games at Jefferson-Morgan with our defense, and that’s going to be our goal.”

Baker’s work may not teach the X’s and Os of basketball, but it focuses on the science that helps build a better athlete.

“We want to build a better athlete, and when you focus on athletes, there are different levels that start with the elite, and I’ve seen them all,” Baker said. “I’m very passionate and I’d do it for free. I want to be a resource for these kids and help them learn life lessons.”

Baker is already familiar with California athletics as he is an assistant on Ed Woods’ football staff.

“Coach Woods and I are there 12 months out of the year,” Baker said. “With the small schools, the sports continue and there are kids on the football team that I would love to have on the basketball team. I plan to meet with the parents and children to get things going. I also want to get a schedule to open the gym.”