Friday, September 23, 2011
By Matthew peaslee
columbiana
When it comes to instructing youth athletes, Jason Baker has been a jack-of-all trades. Beginning as a basketball scout at Solon High School in 2002-03 to coaching girls golf and baseball at Heath High School, near Newark, a year later, this profession has always been his passion.
“I really wanted to coach out of college and never looked back,” Baker said. “This is what I love to do.”
A 1998 graduate of Muskingum College where he played baseball, Baker has always been around high school students in the classroom as a teacher, and on the playing field as a coach.
Now, the former Austintown Fitch boys basketball coach continues his career at Columbiana where he assumes the same role for the Clippers.
“We’re just in the opening stages here [at Columbiana],” he said. “The initial process includes putting a staff together and rounding up the team, but I’m excited for this opportunity.”
Hired on Sept. 9 and introduced to the board on Sept. 13, Baker feels right at home with his new position. It is just a short drive from his family’s house in Canfield. His wife, Dawn, is a native of Greenford Township.
Before Baker was even named the new Columbiana coach, he had a good impression of what the Clippers offered.
“I’ve always heard good things about Columbiana,” Baker said. “It’s a good school district. There’s positive students and people and the community is always very welcoming.”
He’s found that all to be true, especially when forming a relationship with the superintendent and athletic director and football coach, Bob Spaite.
“It’s real important to get on the right foot with those guys,” Baker said. “They’re the ones with the power and when you establish a working relationship with them you can accomplish a lot.”
Baker inherits a team that went 5-16 under Grant Spaite. Spaite, a nephew of Bob Spaite, held the role for just one season. For the past two years, Baker led the Falcons to records of 1-20 and 5-16. Looking back, he left no regrets on the court.
“I don’t look at it as ‘underachieved,’” he said. “We made a lot of progress from year one to year two. Our kids played hard every night.”
Progression has been a key goal for Baker and his teams. He took a Heath team from three wins in 2006-07, to 10 wins the next year, to 13 wins in 2008-09.
Baker will remain in his position as a physical education teacher for Austintown Schools, too.
But he’s ready to move on. He’s ready to start his own legacy for the Clippers.
“The main goal is to build and sustain a successful program for years to come,” Baker said.