Maury's Jack Baker Announces Retirement After 41 Seasons

Few names are as synonymous with Virginia High School Basketball as Jack Baker. The man built Maury High School in Norfolk into a perennial contender, winning 746 games - third most in VHSL history - compared to just 264 losses during his 41-season tenure as Head Coach. Only Paul Hatcher of Robert E. Lee-Staunton (897) and Bill Littlepage from Hopewell (755) notched more wins.

On Monday, Baker decided not to return for a 42nd season, which would've likely seen him pass Littlepage on the state's all-time list. Instead, he announced his retirement from coaching.

"It was time. I knew two years ago, it was time. I wasn't doing the things I used to do in terms of scouting and preparing the team the way I felt we should have. Obviously, having two 10-year old kids played a role in that also. I was missing things that they were doing," Baker told VirginiaPreps.com.

"Lastly, the thing I don't care for at all for is what we're doing next year basketball-wise by going back to a district schedule and eliminating conferences. It doesn't mean a whole lot. All of that wrapped together, I just felt it was time."

This past season, Maury went 18-6 overall and won the Atlantic Conference 9 regular season title that secured an automatic regional playoff berth, doing so with three sophomores - Chase Coleman, Bryan Phillips and Matthew Mensia - in the starting lineup.

The Commodores fell to Hampton, 63-49, in the opening round of the 5A-South Region Tournament held at Norview High School.

"I was pretty sure, about 90%, when we got beat that it was going to be it," acknowledged Baker. "I wanted to think about it and make sure that it was what I wanted to do. I thought about it and just decided it was time."

His players had an inkling as he informed them of the decision.

"It was difficult, but they knew," Baker noted. "They're redoing our gym, so we really haven't had any basketball activities because they are putting new bleaches in and all. But they knew."

Baker, 66, led the Commodores to 19 district or conference titles along with eight trips to the State Tournament and six regional crowns, the final one coming in 2014. He coached many noteworthy stars over the years - names such as former #1 overall NBA Draft pick Joe Smith, UVA standout Cornel Parker, Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl safety Kam Chancellor and recent University of Texas signee Matt Coleman.

Although Baker didn't win a state title with the Commodores - he came extremely close in just his third year on the job, falling 73-72 to Mount Vernon in the 1979 State Final - he undoubtedly leaves a lasting legacy with accomplishments over a sustained period of time that may never be matched again.

Simply put, Baker was a model of consistency. Through his first 32 seasons at the helm, the Commodores reached the Eastern Region playoffs 28 times. He won at least 15 games in each of his final eight years on the job.

"I tried to put everything I had into it for 41 years, worked as hard as I could and tried to make people better. Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't. But it wasn't from a lack of effort," stated Baker, a 1973 graduate of Old Dominion University who played basketball and baseball in college. "I hope most of the players know that I did everything I could to make our program better and make them better people."

A 1969 graduate of Maury, Baker played for Ted Bacalis, a man that went 296-96 in 18 years as Head Basketball Coach of the Commodores. Bacalis was inducted into the ODU Hall of Fame in 2000 and passed away at the age of 90 in 2014. The floor at Maury was named in both men's honor, 'Baker Bacalis Court.'

"The accolades are nice, but it still boils down to the relationships you have with the kids. You remember the good times and the kids. Hopefully, you helped them not just in basketball, but become better people, better citizens," Baker remarked.

High School Basketball had a lot of changes during Baker's long and successful tenure. In this more AAU-centric, technology-driven age, a greater emphasis is put on the summer travel team than playing for your school. The number of transfers have increased over the years as well.

Even Maury wasn't immune to the sport's evolution and saw its star of a few years ago in Matt Coleman decide to leave for prep powerhouse Oak Hill Academy following his sophomore campaign with the Commodores.

"The High School game has changed so much, The lack of loyalty has bothered me for a while. I'm sure for anybody else in the state it does, too; the dealing with parents and kids who want to go here or go there. That - lack of loyalty and commitment to a program - I guess has a little bit to do with why I'm getting out too," Baker confessed.

"In the long run, I know parents want to do what they think is best for their kids, but it has changed so much. It's something I really don't want to deal with anymore."

When Baker suffered through a rare rough patch of three straight losing seasons from 2006-09, it could've been easy to walk away. Some wondered then if the game had passed him by, but in came a talented tandem of Sim Frazier and Jamal Ferguson that helped the program return to the State Playoffs in 2010, knocking out defending State Champ King's Fork in triple-overtime, 87-86 in a memorable regional quarterfinal battle at the Norfolk Scope.

That triple-overtime clash was far different from the 20-19 3OT region playoff loss to Indian River in 1988, where it turned into a one-on-one showdown between the aforementioned Parker and eventual NBA Hall of Famer Alonzo Mourning.

Even Coleman's departure didn't keep Maury from winning, posting a record of 33-14 overall and 22-6 in conference play over the past two seasons.

One of the bigger changes - the VHSL realignment that went into effect at the start of 2013-14 - in some ways marked the beginning of the end of Baker's reign. Several conferences and regions operated under different formats to determine postseason seeding and advancement. It has remained a point of debate for coaches, fans and administrators all over Virginia.

While many didn't embrace it, Baker did as they said good-bye in a sense to local city rivals like Booker T. Washington, Granby and Lake Taylor in different classification levels, yet found new ones. However, conferences are no more at the start of the 2017-18 school-year, which means back to district play and a point system - similar to the one a sport such as football uses - to determine playoff seeding.

"It wasn't a bigger role than my family, but it weighed on my mind. Going back to a district schedule, why are you doing it? There are no Championships. My understanding is you get to the regionals based on your record. Why would you play somebody hard?" Baker asks.

"I don't think they gave this conference thing a chance. We were getting some rivalries with Princess Anne, Green Run and others. What did it last, four years? With something brand new, I think they should've given it more than that little opportunity to start making some money."

Principal Karen Berg and Athletic Director Edward Boyd now have the unenviable task of finding the man who will replace Baker.

Many candidates have been rumored over the years as Baker neared the point of retirement. Perhaps at the forefront will be Brandon Plummer, a varsity assistant to Baker this past season at Maury and former State Championship winning player at Booker T. Washington (Class of 2006) that played on the collegiate level at Norfolk State and Virginia State.

"I thought Brandon did a real good job for us last year. I certainly think he should be in consideration for it and would be a good choice," Baker commented.

"If Mr. Boyd and Mrs. Berg ask me for my opinion, I'd give it to them. I don't want to give them my opinion unless they want it though. That's their decision. But if they want my input, I'd certainly be happy to give it to them."

Provided nobody leaves for another school, Maury will return four starters from last season's team in Coleman, Phillips, Mensia and Jason Price. All four players averaged eight points or more per game with Coleman and Mensia earning 1st Team All-Conference recognition.

So what's next for a guy who has coached every year since 1976-77 without a break? What is he going to do when November rolls around and there's no practice to go to or whistle to blow?

"I'm going to sit in the stands and watch. Yell at officials and yell at coaches like everybody else does" Baker quipped. "Maybe yell at sports writers, how about that?"

Baker isn't completely closing the door on a comeback, though admits it's unlikely and would have to be a special situation.

"I say no," he replied when asked if he would consider a return to the sidelines one day. "But I'm done I would say. Of course, if somebody comes to you and offers you something you can't refuse, I would look at it. But I'm not expecting that. You never know."

Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10AM on ESPN Radio 94.1.