Takedown Report

Baker named coach at Minnesota West

One year after announcing his retirement from a 35-year high school coaching career, Randy Baker has accepted the head coaching position of the wrestling program at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, the two-year school in Worthington, Minn. announced this week. The 64-year-old Baker had retired as head coach at Jackson County Central High School in July 2018, but had served as the program’s assistant coach this past season. Baker will be replacing Bryan Cowdin, who stepped down at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.

InterMat once referred to Baker as being “one of the brightest wrestling minds around.” Washington Globe sportswriter Doug Wolter wrote that Baker is “one of the most well-known and most decorated high school coaches in the state.” Baker’s new boss, Minnesota West men’s athletic director Bob Purcell, described his new wrestling coach as “an ambassador to the sport of wrestling.”  Baker launched his coaching career in 1984, serving at a number of prep programs in southwest Minnesota, culminating at Jackson County Central. In that time, Baker guided 14 teams to Minnesota state tournaments, resulting in seven state team titles. In addition, Baker coached 39 individual state champs. For all his accomplishments as coach, Baker earned many honors, including the Augustana (University) Hall of Fame (his college alma mater in South Dakota), Jackson County Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Minnesota chapter. He was Man of the Year for USA Wrestler Magazine, National Developmental Coach of the Year USA Wrestling, MN USA Coach of the Year and USA Region Coach of the Year. Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21961

May 25, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized