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UTEP women’s head coach Kevin Baker announced Wednesday, April 5 his resignation after six seasons with the Miners.
“After careful consideration of a generous extension offer from UTEP and weighing my options moving forward, I have decided to end my tenure with the Miners,” Baker said in a press release. “This has been a tough decision for me, but I think the time is right for me to move on to the next chapter of my life, spend more time near family, and begin searching for a new career path.”
Earlier this year, Baker was named the 2023 Conference USA Co-Coach of the Year. This season, Baker led the Miners to a 20-win season (20-12, 12-8 C-USA) and an invite to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) for the first time since 2016. Under Baker, the Miners have had four winning seasons with an overall record of 93-85 and a C-USA record of 51-55; this ranks Baker third in program history.
“We are so grateful to coach Baker for all of his hard work over the last six years,” said UTEP Director of Athletics Jim Senter in the same press release. “He built a program that competed at a high level in Conference USA, culminating in this year’s 20-win season. His teams have been fun to watch, and he has been the consummate team player off the court. We wish him the very best as he embarks on the next chapter of a successful career.”
Baker was hired in 2017 after two seasons at Angelo State University (2015-2017) where he finished with a record of 50-14. Baker also coached at the University of Tyler from 2012 to 2015, finishing with a record of 71-16.
Five players earned All-Conference USA recognition under the coaching of Kevin Baker: Tamara Seda (2018), Katarina Zec (2020), Katia Gallegos (2021 and 2022), Destiny Thurman (2022) and Jazion Jackson (2023), with the addition of forward Elina Arike (C-USA Defensive Player of the Year).
“Thank you to all our players who made our jobs fun and kept us on our toes,” Baker said in the press release. “The only reason anyone coaches is to make an impact on young people the same way we were once touched. I hope I was at least helpful to the growth of over 500 players I have mentored, taught, and coached. Lastly, I want to thank the people of El Paso. I have never felt so welcome in a new community. Our city welcomed our players and coaches with open arms and unconditional support. The people make the place, and this city loves UTEP. Go Miners!”
All information and stats courtesy of UTEP Athletics, utepminers.com.
Katrina Villarreal is the multimedia editor and may be reached at [email protected]
