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Wren Baker didnât hesitate when discussing his open menâs basketball head coaching job.
âThis is a great basketball job. A really, really strong program,â he said.
The Athletic Director is facing his most high-profile hire to date in his position in Morgantown and cited the tradition of the program with multiple coaches, the facilities and the fan support as key reasons.
That last point he came armed with ammunition as Baker reeled off West Virginiaâs position as No. 2 in the nation in home court advantage which is a measurement of possession efficiency of both the Mountaineers and their opponents in Morgantown and everywhere else.
âThe passion of our fans come up,â Baker said.
Securing a coach in a timely fashion is important with the transfer portal set to open March 18, but while it will be executed expeditiously it is critical that the search is as thorough as possible to get the right fit. That is what Baker relayed to the current team as well in person following the season-ending loss.
Still, while there is an opportunity to build things quickly with the transfer portal in place the focus for Baker is for the coach to build a program and not a team.
âItâs important they get the culture right, the staff right, the systems right and you have to have patience to allow them to grow into it,â Baker said.
Regardless of coaching changes, roster turnover is happening at a higher clip than ever before and itâs difficult to count on talent already on the roster in this day and age from season to season. But no matter how it unfolds, Baker is confident that given the things listed above the Mountaineers will be competitive in short order once the search is completed and a hire is made.
In terms of what the program has to offer in some key arenas, Baker is confident that compared to the rest of the Big 12 Conference the Mountaineers will be very competitive in the realms of salaries for the head coach, the staff and the travel budget, among other things.
And the eventual coach also will have a competitive NIL program at his backing.
âIâm confident ours will be competitive both in the Big 12 and nationally. I believe it is and I have every reason to believe it will be. Weâre going to ensure that our menâs basketball program has the resources to compete, and NIL is certainly a part of that,â Baker said.
That will be important as Baker still believes that balancing that as well as building chemistry and culture is an art that good coaches are able to navigate in this changing environment.
When it comes to input in the search, Baker did say that while he will always give an ear to those that give their wealth, time and talent to support a program, he also gives it to other datapoints as well. And ultimately this decision will fall at his feet, so he has to make the choice when the time comes.
One of the talking points with some members of the fanbase has been the potential of former head coach Bob Huggins being considered either for input or for the position, but while Baker has great respect and admiration for what the legendary coach has done he is focused on whatâs ahead.
âI think you can be respectful of the past and still be focused on the future,â he said.
