West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker has his work cut out for him over the next several weeks.
Baker is tasked with identifying the next men’s basketball coach and that process has now formally gotten underway with the announcement that interim Josh Eilert would not be retained. But in this instance, Baker has had plenty of time to comb through potential profiles and options for the job.
“There’s an old saying that if I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe. I’ve probably been sharpening the axe for like nine months,” he said.
As part of that process, Baker and his search committee have gone through and looked at potential candidates in all sorts of ways including even with analytics.
Baker said that while many candidates look alike what ultimately will help to separate them will be the in-person interviews where he will be able to individually sit down and discuss philosophies with each.
It’s important that the person tabbed for the job understands not only West Virginia but the people within the state. That candidate doesn’t necessarily need to be from West Virginia, but instead recognizes and appreciates the values, determination and resiliency that those within the state possess.
“If you do that, the people here will rally around you and support you,” he said.
With that Baker also believes that it’s important that the eventual coach can embrace being the face of not only the basketball program but the state. That is evident in the turnout and support that the program receives but is a requirement to lead the major athletic programs at the flagship school.
“You don’t get to come to WVU and just be a basketball coach or football coach or an AD. You’re an ambassador for the state and if you can’t embrace that then this is probably not a job for you,” he said.
Those again will be things that Baker will be able to get a read for in a sit-down meeting, which makes that process all the more important when it comes to filling the role.
Outside of the unique things that the job requires, Baker wants somebody who is committed to building a championship program on the court and leaders away from it. With that comes an understanding and knowledge of how to navigate the ever-changing landscape in college athletics.
“We particularly know we have to have somebody that can navigate recruiting and retention in the era of the portal and NIL,” Baker said.
The athletic director has hired candidates with different profiles in the past but admits that he has always leaned toward somebody that has been a head coach because you really don’t know what comes with the job until you’ve sat in that chair.
But the one thing that Baker believes would come as a requirement is a demonstrated track record of success in division one especially with where things are at right now in the landscape.
The goal is to have a new coach in place by the time of the Final Four in early April, if not earlier but how quickly the search can move will be dependent on the schedule of the candidates. That will include closing out their seasons with post-season play and when those interviews could occur.
“We’ve had enough time so I think we’re prepared to move pretty quickly but some of that is incumbent on the schedule of the candidates,” he said.
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