The Sumter, South Carolina native is a 1948 graduate of Edmunds High School (now Sumter High School) and mostly known for his longtime collegiate assistant and head coaching career.  He is a 1953 graduate of Presbyterian College where he was the starting halfback for two seasons.  After graduating, he started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant with his alma mater, Presbyterian College.  From there he joined Frank Howard’s staff at Clemson as the RB coach in 1965.  After another assistant coaching job at Texas Tech he returned to South Carolina as the Furman University head coach in 1973.  He would stay at Furman until 1977.  During his time there he would hire Dick Sheridan (SCFHOF17), Jimmy Satterfield and Bobby Johnson as assistants.  They would all become future successful head coaches of the Paladins.  In 1978, Coach Baker would be hired by The Citadel as their head football coach and remained there until 1982.

After two more assistant coaching jobs at East Carolina (1983) and Florida State (1984) he returned to East Carolina as head football coach in 1985.  Coach Baker retired from coaching in 1988 and returned to South Carolina as the Associate Athletics Director for Development and Gamecock Club Director at the University of South Carolina.  He remained at that position for six and a half years, retiring on June 30, 1995.  Baker is on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame and a 1995 class member. Coach Baker at 90 years young, has recently moved back to Sumter, SC with his wife Edith. 

Picture Credit: Furman Athletics