Wren Baker Offers Honest Response to WVU Fans Who Prefer Coaches with WV Ties

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Whenever any WVU coaching position is open, there’s always a segment of the fanbase who demands someone with West Virginia ties be considered. And while Wren Baker would never consider ties a negative, he provided a very honest and direct response when asked if a candidate having WVU and/or West Virginia connections matter to him.

“I think my job is to find the best candidate from for the job. If the best candidate has West Virginia ties, great. If they’re not the best candidate, that’s still the wrong decision,” said Baker during a press conference to discuss WVU’s coaching search after firing Neal Brown. He gave a similar response to when he discussed this topic during both recent men’s and women’s basketball searches.

In short, Baker is not going to get himself twisted requiring the next coach of the Mountaineers to be someone fans are already aware of or know due to his ties to the state or school.

Of course, it’s not a negative or disqualifying attribute, but it will not be weighted any more or less than any other characteristic. Baker wants to find the right person for the job. Period. If that coach has a connection, great. But if not, no big deal.

Baker did acknowledge the WVU football coach must be aware of everything that comes with leading the Mountaineers, most notably being recognized from all corners of the state and dealing with what he calls a “fishbowl” environment.

And Baker’s track record of his hires at WVU lends credence to his words. Baker hired Mark Kellogg to lead the women’s basketball program when former coach Mike Carey publicly petitioned to reclaim the job. He also hired Kellogg over Kim Caldwell (then Stevens) who was coaching in the state at the time, granted at a lower level of college basketball. He even let her be hired by Marshall and she’s since been elevated to leading Tennessee.

WVU men’s basketball head coach Darian DeVries’ hiring came with national praise, but is another coach without any prior tie to Mountaineer Nation. He even went across the country to steal a volleyball coach.

Amanda Mazey, the wife of the recently retired WVU baseball coach Randy Mazey, likely in response to hearing what Baker said, posted her own message about the issue on social media.

Just a friendly reminder a future coach doesn’t have to have WV ties to adopt the culture & appreciate the people & beauty of this state! See people below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/OY3w0IuphD

— Amanda Ross Mazey (@AmandaMazey) December 3, 2024

“Just a friendly reminder a future coach doesn’t have to have WV ties to adopt the culture and appreciate the people and beauty of this state!,” she said to remind fans that her family came to West Virginia without any exist ties and then led the baseball program to its greatest success in its history.

Randy Mazey talks with Wren Baker as WVU played against North Carolina on June 8, 2024, in the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Mitchell Northam / WV Sports Now)

Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

Does Baker saying he doesn’t require a connection mean the likes of Clarksburg native Jimbo Fisher or former WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez are out of the running? No, but it does mean people shouldn’t get married to one of those options and he’s casting a wide net.

Baker is striving to find the right man for the position and who can consistently win above all else. Period.

For a related story, WVU director of athletics Wren Baker detailed his recent talk with Pat McAfee.