Last College: UCLA

Many people are responsible for the growth and success of the USA Water Polo Women's National Team. But only one led the program into the age of Olympic competition taking the program from underdog to world power. Prior to his work with Team USA, Baker helped resurrect a UCLA water polo program that had been dropped in 1991. First leading the men and then the women, winning NCAA and National titles with both before taking over the USA Women's National Team program in the late 1990s. Big challenges lay ahead and each accomplishment would be a first for the program. Baker led the team to Olympic Qualification in early 2000 and then against all odds a silver medal in the first Olympics to offer women's water polo in Sydney. The United States would sneak up on teams no longer and the accolades continued to roll-in. In 2001, Baker was also charged with building a women's national team pipeline that resulted in multiple Junior World Championship medals. In 2003, Baker and Team USA claimed the program's first ever FINA World Championship and followed it with a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. 2007 presented perhaps Baker's finest work as Team USA reached another level. The squad did not lose a game (35-0-1) on the way to winning a second FINA World Championship and qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games with Pan American Games gold. The following year Team USA was again on the Olympic podium, claiming silver in Beijing. Baker has remained in the game in both administrative and coaching roles spearheading the launch of the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program. He is now the Executive Director of the Lamorinda Water Polo Club.