WVU AD Wren Baker Making WBB Job Opening His Top Priority

West Virginia University’s Director of Athletics Wren Baker met with the media on Monday morning to discuss the state of the women’s basketball program. Baker made sure to make it clear that hiring a new women’s basketball head coach is his top priority at this time.

Baker says that a search has begun and will be completed as efficiently as possible.

“A search process has begun. After today, our sole focus will be identifying the next leader for our women’s basketball program,” Baker said.

He refused to offer an exact timetable, but hinted with a response that his plan is to complete the search as soon as possible.

One-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit decided over the weekend to take the Minnesota job, just hours after the Mountaineers fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Baker said that he knew of Minnesota’s interest since right before the Big 12 Tournament, but was also surprised that it happened the way it did. He also explained he felt he fully expressed to Plitzuweit about his desire to keep her at WVU and continue the progress made moving forward. “The one thing we can’t do anything about is geography,” Baker said while alluding to the fact that Plitzuweit told him being closer to home became the driving factor in her decision to depart West Virginia after just one season.

“I think anybody would be lucky to be here,” Baker said. “I know it hurts and stings when you lose a coach [after one season],” he added.