Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Kellogg Ready To Embrace The Opportunity At WVU
April 05, 2023 04:15 PM | Women's Basketball, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Wren Baker listed the qualities he was seeking in a new women's basketball coach at West Virginia University, ultimately choosing Stephen F. Austin's Mark Kellogg, whom he formally introduced earlier today.
First, Baker wanted a proven head coach who has won consistently on the Division I level. Based solely on winning percentage, there were only five out there in the Division I ranks who have won at a higher rate than Kellogg's .780 winning percentage. In 18 seasons at different levels, Kellogg has never had a losing campaign.
Second, he wanted someone who was committed to building championship programs at West Virginia on and off the court. Kellogg's Stephen F. Austin teams have taken home two regular season and two conference tournament championships since 2020.
And third, Baker wanted someone who was going to embrace West Virginia values and what West Virginia University is all about – the passion, work ethic, grit and determination that make us all Mountaineers.
Those were the marching orders he gave to his four-person search committee consisting of senior staffers Natasha Oakes, Matt Wells, Steve Uryasz and Michael Fragale.
Baker already knew about Kellogg because he had hired him once before at Northwest Missouri State, but he let the committee organically come to the conclusion that Kellogg was the right man at the right time to lead West Virginia University women's basketball.
In Kellogg, Baker has found a coach who is genuinely going to appreciate living and working in Morgantown, West Virginia.
"This is a great place to live and work," Baker explained. "It's a privilege to represent Mountaineer Nation, and we felt it was important that our next head coach and his family put down roots, embrace everything about this community and be a vital part of this community."
Kellogg, his wife, Trisha, and their children Camden and Kayli are eager to make Morgantown their new home.
Kellogg's path to Morgantown has had many stops similar to Morgantown, from Canyon, Texas, to Bozeman, Montana, to Durango, Colorado, to Maryville, Missouri, to, most recently, Nacogdoches, Texas.
"These places are very similar in values and size to Morgantown," Baker noted. "He's a devoted husband and father, and you are going to love his family. He married a girl from Colstrip, Montana, where they have two coal mines."
Kellogg's wife, their two children, his parents and his brother were here today to share in his special moment. He was visibly moved while attempting to introduce them.
He also mentioned Bridgeport, West Virginia, native Rick Cooper, who helped him break into the profession when they were together at West Texas A&M.
"The question I've gotten so many times already, 'Why West Virginia?' My initial quick thought is, 'Why not West Virginia?'" Kellogg said. "This place is so special, and it's been so special. It represents the entire state, and it's a national brand.
"Who wouldn't want to live in 'Almost Heaven?'" he added.
Kellogg emphasized that each step he's made up the coaching ladder has been in college towns.
"In your career, you work for opportunities like this, and there are only so many of them," he explained. "I've heard the 'Country Roads' term, and that's a big part of my past. Both of my parents were born in rural Missouri. My dad grew up on a farm and my parents were blue-collar, hard-working educators. That was instilled in me and my brother from day one. Hard work will get you somewhere, and that's all we've ever known.
"Nacogdoches, Texas, is a lot like Morgantown, about 30,000 people and maybe some of the same traits here, so it all came back to this 'Country Roads' theme for me with the places we've been," he continued. "All I have ever known is college towns where people care about their university and have passion for their teams.
"I want to be in a town like this where when our players go shopping, our fans recognize them and ask them about the game. I want them to talk to them and tell them how great they are doing, or that they didn't play very well, or that I didn't coach very well. That's okay, as long as there is passion," he said.
There is plenty of that for West Virginia University throughout the entire state.
The Mountaineer players sitting in the front row listening to Kellogg speak today have been through a lot, despite producing a better-than-expected 19-12 record this year that included the school's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance last month.
It was during their bus ride back to Morgantown from College Park, Maryland, after their first-round loss to Arizona when they learned through social media that they were going to be playing for their third coach in a span of only 12 months.
Kellogg, torn up about leaving a good Stephen F. Austin team that is returning nearly intact, made it a priority to stand in front of his Ladyjacks' players to say goodbye to them after eight wonderful seasons.
This afternoon, he turned his attention to his new players sitting in front of him in the Coliseum. His message to them? Just give him a chance.
"People might feel like there is something wrong, or why did the previous coach leave? Well, we are going to love them and that's the same thing we've always done, and I'm not going to be any different than I already am," he explained. "I tried to describe to them who I am and what I'm about. That's all I can do. I can't be any different than who I am, but who I am is pretty good, I think. I'm going to coach them hard when I need to, and then I'm going to love them when it's time to love them. We're going to have fun along the way. We are going to get better, and we're going to ask a lot of them.
"No, I'm not a West Virginian, but I'm going to do everything I can to invest in this place, get my family here and get them ingrained in the community. (His children will be) in school here and around, and we will be that family who makes a difference here," he concluded.
Baker indicated that the search committee sifted through more than 100 interested candidates before paring it down to seven. It was then whittled down to three for deeper discussion before arriving at Kellogg.
"There was tremendous interest in this position," Baker admitted. "I've done 19 head coaching searches as an athletic director and a few more as a senior staff member, and the interest in this position was more intense than in any of those previous searches.
"What we heard from candidates is they loved the passion of our fans, the resources they have to compete here and the quality and depth of the Big 12."
First, Baker wanted a proven head coach who has won consistently on the Division I level. Based solely on winning percentage, there were only five out there in the Division I ranks who have won at a higher rate than Kellogg's .780 winning percentage. In 18 seasons at different levels, Kellogg has never had a losing campaign.
Second, he wanted someone who was committed to building championship programs at West Virginia on and off the court. Kellogg's Stephen F. Austin teams have taken home two regular season and two conference tournament championships since 2020.
And third, Baker wanted someone who was going to embrace West Virginia values and what West Virginia University is all about – the passion, work ethic, grit and determination that make us all Mountaineers.
Those were the marching orders he gave to his four-person search committee consisting of senior staffers Natasha Oakes, Matt Wells, Steve Uryasz and Michael Fragale.
Baker already knew about Kellogg because he had hired him once before at Northwest Missouri State, but he let the committee organically come to the conclusion that Kellogg was the right man at the right time to lead West Virginia University women's basketball.
In Kellogg, Baker has found a coach who is genuinely going to appreciate living and working in Morgantown, West Virginia.
"This is a great place to live and work," Baker explained. "It's a privilege to represent Mountaineer Nation, and we felt it was important that our next head coach and his family put down roots, embrace everything about this community and be a vital part of this community."
Kellogg, his wife, Trisha, and their children Camden and Kayli are eager to make Morgantown their new home.
Kellogg's path to Morgantown has had many stops similar to Morgantown, from Canyon, Texas, to Bozeman, Montana, to Durango, Colorado, to Maryville, Missouri, to, most recently, Nacogdoches, Texas.
"These places are very similar in values and size to Morgantown," Baker noted. "He's a devoted husband and father, and you are going to love his family. He married a girl from Colstrip, Montana, where they have two coal mines."
Kellogg's wife, their two children, his parents and his brother were here today to share in his special moment. He was visibly moved while attempting to introduce them.
He also mentioned Bridgeport, West Virginia, native Rick Cooper, who helped him break into the profession when they were together at West Texas A&M.
"The question I've gotten so many times already, 'Why West Virginia?' My initial quick thought is, 'Why not West Virginia?'" Kellogg said. "This place is so special, and it's been so special. It represents the entire state, and it's a national brand.
"Who wouldn't want to live in 'Almost Heaven?'" he added.
Kellogg emphasized that each step he's made up the coaching ladder has been in college towns.
"In your career, you work for opportunities like this, and there are only so many of them," he explained. "I've heard the 'Country Roads' term, and that's a big part of my past. Both of my parents were born in rural Missouri. My dad grew up on a farm and my parents were blue-collar, hard-working educators. That was instilled in me and my brother from day one. Hard work will get you somewhere, and that's all we've ever known.
"Nacogdoches, Texas, is a lot like Morgantown, about 30,000 people and maybe some of the same traits here, so it all came back to this 'Country Roads' theme for me with the places we've been," he continued. "All I have ever known is college towns where people care about their university and have passion for their teams.
"I want to be in a town like this where when our players go shopping, our fans recognize them and ask them about the game. I want them to talk to them and tell them how great they are doing, or that they didn't play very well, or that I didn't coach very well. That's okay, as long as there is passion," he said.
There is plenty of that for West Virginia University throughout the entire state.
The Mountaineer players sitting in the front row listening to Kellogg speak today have been through a lot, despite producing a better-than-expected 19-12 record this year that included the school's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance last month.
It was during their bus ride back to Morgantown from College Park, Maryland, after their first-round loss to Arizona when they learned through social media that they were going to be playing for their third coach in a span of only 12 months.
Kellogg, torn up about leaving a good Stephen F. Austin team that is returning nearly intact, made it a priority to stand in front of his Ladyjacks' players to say goodbye to them after eight wonderful seasons.
This afternoon, he turned his attention to his new players sitting in front of him in the Coliseum. His message to them? Just give him a chance.
"People might feel like there is something wrong, or why did the previous coach leave? Well, we are going to love them and that's the same thing we've always done, and I'm not going to be any different than I already am," he explained. "I tried to describe to them who I am and what I'm about. That's all I can do. I can't be any different than who I am, but who I am is pretty good, I think. I'm going to coach them hard when I need to, and then I'm going to love them when it's time to love them. We're going to have fun along the way. We are going to get better, and we're going to ask a lot of them.
"No, I'm not a West Virginian, but I'm going to do everything I can to invest in this place, get my family here and get them ingrained in the community. (His children will be) in school here and around, and we will be that family who makes a difference here," he concluded.
Baker indicated that the search committee sifted through more than 100 interested candidates before paring it down to seven. It was then whittled down to three for deeper discussion before arriving at Kellogg.
"There was tremendous interest in this position," Baker admitted. "I've done 19 head coaching searches as an athletic director and a few more as a senior staff member, and the interest in this position was more intense than in any of those previous searches.
"What we heard from candidates is they loved the passion of our fans, the resources they have to compete here and the quality and depth of the Big 12."
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