If Wren Baker had known the level of chaos he’d face upon becoming West Virginia’s athletic director, he might have reconsidered. Although he has grown to love the state, university, and athletic department, he admits the past two years have been anything but easy.
Upon arriving in Morgantown, his first major task was assessing the football program under Neal Brown, who had suffered three losing seasons in four years. Rather than making a rash decision, Baker chose to give Brown more time. That patience paid off in 2023 when Brown led WVU to a nine-win season and earned a contract extension. However, a major decline in 2024 led to his firing, paving the way for Rich Rodriguez’s return.
In men’s basketball, Baker inherited a program led by Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins. However, Huggins’ resignation following a controversial radio incident and a DUI forced Baker into an offseason coaching search. With most top candidates already taken, he opted for interim coach Josh Eilert before hiring Darian DeVries. After a promising first season, DeVries abruptly departed for Indiana, leaving Baker to conduct another coaching search the third in as many years.
Beyond that, he also had to replace women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit after just one season, hire a new volleyball coach, and appoint Steve Sabins as the new baseball coach following Randy Mazey’s retirement.
When asked whether all this turmoil was taking a toll or making him consider stepping down, Baker responded with humor. “There’s no other job that will pay me this much, and I have three women at home spending money,” he joked. But he reassured everyone of his resilience, stating he remains calm during challenging times and is confident in WVU’s long-standing tradition of success across multiple coaches and eras.
Despite the challenges, Baker remains committed to the job and passionate about the university. His track record of successful hires should give WVU fans confidence as he navigates yet another basketball coaching search.
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