MIDDLETOWN BOYS BASKETBALL
New coach: Mark Baker (pending board approval).
Coaching experience: Head coach at Trotwood-Madison from 2008-11, compiling 57-15 record. Three-time GWOC North coach of the year. Head coach of semipro Dayton Jets. Assistant at Northmont.
As a player: Starter on 1987 Dunbar Class AAA state title team; three-year starter at OSU; played seven years professionally.
Succeeds: Josh Andrews, who resigned after two seasons to be the head coach at Taylor University.
Being a fan of Middletown High School boys basketball came easy for Mark Baker.
“I have always been an admirer, going back to watching Cris Carter play against Dunbar when he was in high school,” Baker said. “Jerry Lucas is the model for basketball in Ohio. I know the tradition that Middletown basketball is built on.”
Pending school board approval, Baker will be the next in line to extend that deep hoops legacy. He is expected to succeed Josh Andrews as the Middies boys varsity basketball coach.
Baker was chosen from about 40 applicants for the position. A search committee narrowed the field to seven for interviews.
The position opened when Andrews resigned after two seasons to become the head coach at Taylor University, where he played as an undergrad.
“We wanted to find the coach that was the best fit for our program and our players,” Middletown athletic director Gary Lebo said. “We got confidence that Mark can continue the tradition and maybe take us to a state title.”
A Dayton native, Baker did that as an outstanding All-American senior guard at Dunbar. A three-year starter at Ohio State, he also played on two Big Ten championship teams. Baker played seven years professionally.
He was an assistant at Northmont before landing his first head coaching position at Trotwood-Madison.
“This was definitely a no-brainer,” said Baker, who compiled a 57-15 mark in three seasons with the Rams from 2008-11.
“When I left Trotwood, I said there were three places I would return to coach at and Middletown was one of them because of the tradition, great community support and the great pool of talent there is at the school.”
Baker was out of coaching for two seasons and returned to Northmont last season as an assistant. He said that he’s in the process of finalizing a Middletown coaching staff that likely will include holdovers from the Andrews era and new coaches.
Baker said the Middies will be expected to raise their community profile and be role models on and off the court. He also plans to take a more active role with youth feeder programs.
“Mentoring young people is one of the things I really enjoy,” Baker said. “I enjoy the total development of young men. I hope they feed off my experience and I think it is going to be a fun ride. I am excited about the opportunity.”
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