Jim Baker took over as the head coach for the Catawba men's basketball program in 1994 and his overall record stands at 344-236. During his tenure, Baker has guided the Indians to the NCAA II Tournament nine times. His teams have won just over 60% of their games and have an impressive home record of 198-74 (73%). Catawba has a 108-70 record in games decided by five points or less under Baker. Baker has produced three conference Players of the Year and three All-Americans, while graduating 60 of 64 seniors.
In 2009-10, Catawba won its sixth SAC Championship under Baker and advanced to the SAC Tournament title game for the third straight year. That year marked the fourth straight trip to the NCAA II Tournament for the Tribe which won league titles in 2007 and 2010, while winning back-to-back SAC Tournament titles in 2008 and 2009.
In 2006-07, Baker was voted SAC Coach of the Year for the fifth time as Catawba won the league title and earned a spot in the NCAA Regional Tournament. In 2004-05, Baker earned SAC Coach of the Year honors as the Indians claimed the conference title 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 season and a third South Atlantic Conference title in 2001, Baker was named league Coach of the Year.
Baker was named SAC and NCAA II Region Coach of the Year in 1998, after Catawba posted a 25-6 record. He also earned SAC Coach of the Year honors in 1996, after he guided the Indians to their first conference title since 1983. His 16 victories in his first season was the most ever for a first-year basketball coach at Catawba. He has a 306-166 record over his first 16 seasons and ranks second all-time in coaching victories at Catawba.
Baker came to Catawba from Virginia Military Institute, where he had been an assistant coach for two seasons. He also had NCAA Division I experience as an assistant at Virginia Tech (1989-91) and Davidson (1981-89). Baker came to Catawba in June 1993, as an assistant coach during Sam Moir’s final campaign as head coach. Moir retired in May 1994, ending a great 34-year career at Catawba.
Baker, a dean’s list student at Catawba before graduating in 1978, played for Moir from 1975-78. He transferred from UNC-Charlotte and was a part of two 20-win seasons at Catawba. He was a member of the 1976-77 Carolinas Conference Championship team and three of his former teammates, Benny Callahan, Eric Harris and Herman Miles are in the Catawba Sports Hall of Fame.
Baker began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Moir in 1978-79 and at Wingate the next year, while earning a master’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 Allen at Virginia Tech and Joe Cantafio at VMI. At Davidson, Baker was part of a program which graduated 25 of 26 student athletes. In addition, 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 the third team in Metro Conference history to sweep both Memphis State and Louisville in the same year. At VMI, Baker was responsible for recruiting, scouting, practice and bench coaching, public speaking, summer camps and scheduling. All of VMI’s seniors graduated during Baker’s stay there and he was part of an outstanding recruiting class in 1992-93, which saw three freshmen make the starting lineup.
In addition to editing and publishing a monthly basketball newsletter (“Time Out”), Baker has published four booklets: “Power Post Play,” “Striving for Excellence,” and “The Best of Time Out, Books One and Two.” Baker has also released a one of a kind basketball CD-Rom “The Best of Time Out”. Baker’s ties to the international players in his program come from doing camps and clinics abroad. He has conducted both camps and clinics in Belgium, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, Barbados and Costa Rica over the past 18 years. He has also served as the U.S. adviser to the Belgium Women’s Olympic basketball team.
Baker comes from a strong sports family. Both his mother and father were outstanding athletes and his dad, Walt, coached him at North Rowan High School where he graduated in 1974. The field house at North Rowan is named in his dad’s honor. His brother, Chip, is a longtime assistant baseball coach at Florida State. Baker and his wife, the former Tina Waters, reside in Concord. They have four children, Jamie, Madison, Hannah and Jacob.
JIM BAKER COACHING CAREER:
CATAWBA COLLEGE HEAD COACH 1994-2014
CATAWBA COLLEGE ASSISTANT COACH 1993-1994
VIRGINA MILITARY INST. ASSISTANT COACH 1991 -1993
VIRGINA TECH ASSISTANT COACH 1989-91
DAVIDSON COLLEGE ASSISTANT COACH 1981-1989
BELMONT ABBEY ASSISTANT COACH 1980-81
WINGATE UNIVERSITY ASSISTANT COACH 1979-1980
CATAWBA COLLEGE GA 1978-1979
EDUCATION:
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE 1981 MA HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING
CATAWBA COLLEGE 1978 BA HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Coach Jim Baker's Coaching Achievements
20 YEAR RECORD OF AS A HEAD COACH 344-236 60%
14 WINNING SEASONS
9 - 20+ WIN SEASONS AND 2 - 19 WIN SEASONS OUT OF 20 SEASONS
AVERAGED 17.2 WINS SEASON PER SEASON (19.5 WINS FOR FIRST 17 SEASONS)
RECEACHED 100TH WIN 5 SEASONS AND 2 GAMES
REACHED 200TH WIN IN 11 SEASONS AND 25 GAMES
RECORDED 300TH WIN IN 16 SEASONS
GUIDED CATAWBA TO FIRST NCAA TOUNAMENT IN 1998
GUIDED CATAWBA TO 9 NCAA TOUNAMENTS IN 20 SEASONS - 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2009, AND 2010
REACHED NCAA II “SWEET SIXTEEN” IN 1998
WON SOUTH ATLANTIC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 6 TIMES – 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, AND 2010
REACHED SOUTH ATLANTIC TOURNAMENT FINALS 8 TIMES AND WON 6 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2008, AND 2009
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERNCE TOURNAMENT RECORD OF 24 – 11
WON 7 CATAWBA CLASSICS, CONCORD CLASSIC, BARBADOS SHOOT OUT, AND ROLLINS
SOUTH ATLANTIC “COACH OF THE YEAR” 6 TIMES -1996, 1998, 2001, 2005, AND 2007
SOUTH ATLANTIC DISTRICT “COACH OF THE YEAR” – 1998
COACHED 3 SAC CONFERENCE “PLAYERS OF THE YEAR”
COACHED 31 SAC ALL- CONFERNCE PLAYERS
COACHED 3 SAC “FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR” PLAYERS
COACHED 6 “SAC TOURNAMENT MVP’S”
COACHED 7 ALL-DISTRICT PLAYERS
COACHED 3 ALL-AMERICAN PLAYERS
COACHED 1 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERNCE “MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR”
GRADUATED 64 0F 68 (94%) OF SENIORS THAT FINISHED PLAYING AT CATAWBA
BUILT CATAWBA BASKETBALL CAMP INTO ONE OF THE LARGEST IN D2 WITH OVER 18,785 KIDS ATTENDING IN 21 YEARS AND 1,565 TEAMS HAVE ATTENDED CATAWBA TEAM CAMP.
CHAIRMAN OF SOUTH ATLANTIC COACHES 2006-07 AND 2007-08
NCAA REGIONAL BASKETBALL COMMITTEE 2005-06 AND 2006-07
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES D2 CONGRESS – PRESENT
CONDUCTED BASKETBALL COACHING CLINIS AND CAMPS FOR 18 YEARS IN BELIGIUM, FRANCE, LUXEMBOURG, BARBADOS, COSTA RICA, AND ICELAND
PUBLISHER AND EDITIOR FOR 20 YEARS NATIONAL MONTHLY BASKETBALL NEWSLETTER “TIMEOUT” AND “THE BEST OF TIMEOUT” BOOKS One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six
EDITOR OF CD-ROM “THE BEST OF TIMEOUT” RELEASED IN 1998 AND PUBLISHED 5 BASKETBALL INSTUCTIONAL BOOKS AND 5 BASKETBALL VIDEOS
U.S.A. ADVISOR TO THE BELGIUM WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM 1989 -1995
CATAWBA BASKETBALL HONORS
Under Coach Jim Baker
All-American
Mike Feller, 1995-96
Art Wade, 1997-98
Marvin Moore, 1998-99
All-Region
Art Wade, 1997-98
Marvin Moore, 1998-99
Brian Carter, 2000-01
Helgi Magnusson, 2004-05
Brian Graves, 2006-07
Antonio Houston, 2009-10
SAC Player of the Year
Mike Feller, 1995-96
Art Wade, 1997-98
Marvin Moore, 1998-99
All-South Atlantic Conference
First Team
Callum Brown, 1994-95
Mike Feller, 1995-96
Art Wade, 1996-97
Art Wade, 1997-98
Marvin Moore, 1997-98
Marvin Moore, 1998-99
Brian Carter, 2001-02
Terrence Hamilton, 2001-02
Brian Carter, 2002-03
Helgi Magnusson, 2004-05
Helgi Magnusson, 2005-06
Brian Graves, 2005-06
Brian Graves, 2006-07
Chris Wooldridge, 2006-07
Antonio Houston, 2007-08
Antonio Houston, 2008-09
Antonio Houston, 2009-10
Dominick Reid 2010-12
Keon Moore 2011-12
Second Team
Mike Feller, 1994-95
Art Wade, 1995-96
Marvin Moore, 1996-97
Tony Davenport, 1999-00
Nedzad Gusic, 2000-01
Brian Carter, 2000-01
Helgi Magnusson, 2003-04
Brian Graves, 2004-05
Rob Fields, 2008-09
Rob Fields, 2009-10
Donal Rutherford, 2009-10
Tyrece Little, 2012-13
SAC Freshman of the Year
Antonio Houston, 2006-07
Dominick Reid, 2007-08
Keon Moore 2010-11
SAC Tournament MVP
Art Wade, 1997-98
Marvin Moore, 1998-99
Kevin Petty, 2000-01
Helgi Magnusson, 2003-04
Antonio Houston, 2007-08
Antonio Houston, 2008-09
Academic All-District
Jeremy Carswell, 1997-98
Coach Jim Baker's Players From Catawba That Played or Are Playing Professional Basketball Overseas
DOMINICK REID
THOMAS SMUGER
STUART THOMPSON ANTONIO HOUSTON ROB FIELDS DONALD RUTHERFORD BRIAN GRAVES HELGI MAGNUSSON NEDZAD GUSIC MARVIN MOORE FINUR MAGNUSSON ALEX LUYK DAVOR KRUSELJANIN ANDY THOMSON ROKAS BARTASIUS CHRIS WOOLDRIDGE GAETAN CONTIGNY
Coach Jim Baker's "COACHING TREE"
Former Players That Have Gone Into Coaching
BRAIN GRAVES
KELVIN DRAKEFORD
MATT TAMER MARVIN MOORE ALLEN TAYLOR BRIAN PERRY JARMARK PARKER ART WADE JOLLY MANNING BRIAN FRASIER JASON DIGGS JORVEWE GIBSON DUKE PHIPPS TONY DAVENPORT