WVU’s Baker One of Eight to Be Recognized by Southeastern Oklahoma State This Weekend
September 22, 2023 11:00 AM | General, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – You can add another hall of fame to Wren Baker's biography.
Last winter, Baker was officially inducted into the Rogers State Hall of Fame and this weekend, WVU's director of athletics is one of eight distinguished alums to be recognized by Southeastern Oklahoma State University, his alma mater.
Originally from Valliant, Oklahoma, Baker earned his bachelor's degree in education from Southeastern in 2001 where he was a member of the honors program. He went on to earn his master's degree in education leadership from Oklahoma State in 2003. At Oklahoma State, he was operations assistant for the Cowboys' men's basketball program under legendary coach Eddie Sutton.
In 2005, Baker was named the principal and athletic director for Valliant Public Schools and, at age 26, was the youngest principal in Oklahoma history.
From 2006-11, Baker served as the first athletic director at Rogers State in Claremore, where he was also the school's first men's basketball coach. His team went 20-11 in his only season at the helm, and RSU teams combined to post a nearly 70% winning percentage despite being a start-up athletic program. During his tenure, Baker developed a full-scale collegiate athletics program.
From 2011 to 2013, Baker was athletic director at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State, where he secured the largest gift in the athletic department's history for improvements to the football stadium. Under Baker, Northwest Missouri saw its revenues increase by 60%, and he hired head football coach Adam Dorrel, who led the Bearcats to three consecutive national championships.
From there, he went to Memphis from 2013-15 as deputy athletics director. He secured the largest gift in the university's history as Memphis posted its best fundraising year ever. While setting a school record for fundraising, major gifts and multimedia rights revenue, Baker also grew Memphis' scholarship fund, was the sport administrator for men's basketball and worked closely with football during a two-year run that included the Tigers' first conference championship in football in more than four decades.
Baker was the deputy director of athletics at Missouri from 2015 to 2016, serving as the top advisor and chief of staff. He was responsible for assisting with all aspects of administration and led the external unit, helping Mizzou to a record fundraising year. He also served as the interim director of athletics at Missouri before moving on to North Texas.
He served the University of North Texas as Vice President and Athletics Director from 2016 to 2022.
At North Texas, seven Mean Green programs (men's cross country, volleyball, women's soccer, football, men's basketball, women's golf and softball) combined to win 17 conference or division championships during Baker's tenure, and the overall athletic department's winning percentage in the last year was the best in the modern era. In 2019, every Mean Green team achieved a winning season for the first time in school history. The Mean Green also reached program highs in academics, fundraising, and ticket revenue.
One of the biggest moments in the history of North Texas Athletics came under his watch, when UNT was invited to join the American Athletic Conference beginning in July 2023.
Baker was then hired as WVU's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2022, where he has oversight of 18 varsity sports, a department budget of more than $90 million, approximately 250 employees and nearly 500 student-athletes.
Baker and his wife, Heather, a Bokchito, Oklahoma, native, have two daughters, Addisyn and Reagan.
The eight individuals will be honored at the Distinguished Awards Banquet on Friday, Sept. 22, and again the following day during pregame of the Southeastern-Northwestern football game.
The award is presented by the University and the Southeastern Alumni Association each year at Homecoming.
Last winter, Baker was officially inducted into the Rogers State Hall of Fame and this weekend, WVU's director of athletics is one of eight distinguished alums to be recognized by Southeastern Oklahoma State University, his alma mater.
Originally from Valliant, Oklahoma, Baker earned his bachelor's degree in education from Southeastern in 2001 where he was a member of the honors program. He went on to earn his master's degree in education leadership from Oklahoma State in 2003. At Oklahoma State, he was operations assistant for the Cowboys' men's basketball program under legendary coach Eddie Sutton.
In 2005, Baker was named the principal and athletic director for Valliant Public Schools and, at age 26, was the youngest principal in Oklahoma history.
From 2006-11, Baker served as the first athletic director at Rogers State in Claremore, where he was also the school's first men's basketball coach. His team went 20-11 in his only season at the helm, and RSU teams combined to post a nearly 70% winning percentage despite being a start-up athletic program. During his tenure, Baker developed a full-scale collegiate athletics program.
From 2011 to 2013, Baker was athletic director at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State, where he secured the largest gift in the athletic department's history for improvements to the football stadium. Under Baker, Northwest Missouri saw its revenues increase by 60%, and he hired head football coach Adam Dorrel, who led the Bearcats to three consecutive national championships.
From there, he went to Memphis from 2013-15 as deputy athletics director. He secured the largest gift in the university's history as Memphis posted its best fundraising year ever. While setting a school record for fundraising, major gifts and multimedia rights revenue, Baker also grew Memphis' scholarship fund, was the sport administrator for men's basketball and worked closely with football during a two-year run that included the Tigers' first conference championship in football in more than four decades.
Baker was the deputy director of athletics at Missouri from 2015 to 2016, serving as the top advisor and chief of staff. He was responsible for assisting with all aspects of administration and led the external unit, helping Mizzou to a record fundraising year. He also served as the interim director of athletics at Missouri before moving on to North Texas.
He served the University of North Texas as Vice President and Athletics Director from 2016 to 2022.
At North Texas, seven Mean Green programs (men's cross country, volleyball, women's soccer, football, men's basketball, women's golf and softball) combined to win 17 conference or division championships during Baker's tenure, and the overall athletic department's winning percentage in the last year was the best in the modern era. In 2019, every Mean Green team achieved a winning season for the first time in school history. The Mean Green also reached program highs in academics, fundraising, and ticket revenue.
One of the biggest moments in the history of North Texas Athletics came under his watch, when UNT was invited to join the American Athletic Conference beginning in July 2023.
Baker was then hired as WVU's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2022, where he has oversight of 18 varsity sports, a department budget of more than $90 million, approximately 250 employees and nearly 500 student-athletes.
Baker and his wife, Heather, a Bokchito, Oklahoma, native, have two daughters, Addisyn and Reagan.
The eight individuals will be honored at the Distinguished Awards Banquet on Friday, Sept. 22, and again the following day during pregame of the Southeastern-Northwestern football game.
The award is presented by the University and the Southeastern Alumni Association each year at Homecoming.
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