Winona, MN-
Minnesota West Community and Technical College recently announced the hiring of alum Randy Baker as the new Blue Jay wrestling coach. Baker is a Jackson (MN) High School graduate and is well-respected in the Minnesota wrestling community.
Baker was a two-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier who went on to compete at Minnesota West CTC under NJCAA Hall of Famer Stan Hotzler. Baker was a Minnesota State and Region XIII standout in both of his seasons at Minnesota West, as well as a two-time NJCAA National Qualifier. He placed 5th in the nation as a sophomore.
From Minnesota West, Baker moved on to Augustana University in nearby Sioux Falls, SD. At Auggie, he earned a 3rd place finish in the North Central Conference along with qualifying twice for the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Upon completing his eligibility, Baker then served as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons for Paul Kendle.
High school wrestling fans and followers recognized Baker's significant contributions to the sport. During his decades-long high school coaching career, Baker coached 39 individual State Champions, including two student-athletes who were recognized as Mr. Minnesota in high school wrestling. Baker also established a strong legacy in the disciplines of both Freestyle and Greco Olympic forms of wrestling; the new MnWest mentor devoted 25 years to USA Wrestling in this capacity.
As he takes over the wrestling program at Minnesota West, Baker steps onto campus in Worthington with several coaching accolades under his belt including Minnesota West CTC and Augustana Hall of Fame membership, as well as several honors from USA Wrestling and the National Developmental coaching programs.
For more on Minnesota West CTC Athletics, including Blue Jay wrestling, please visit: http://www.mnwestathletics.com/sports/wrest/index
Also, be sure to read this recent article on Baker's hiring in The Guillotine, the leading source for high school and college wrestling news: https://theguillotine.com/2019/05randy-baker-named-minnesota-west-head-wrestling-coach
Photo courtsey of The Guillotine.
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About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.