Wren Baker navigates the path for WVU.
In November of 2022, Wren Baker became the 13th director of athletics for West Virginia University. He came to Morgantown from the University of North Texas, where he had been the vice president and athletics director since 2016. With previous stops at Missouri, Memphis, Northwest Missouri, and Rogers State, Baker brought over 20 years of experience to WVU.
Originally from Valliant, Oklahoma, Baker earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Southeastern Oklahoma State in 2001. He went on to earn his master’s degree in education leadership from Oklahoma State in 2003. He and his wife, Heather, have two daughters, Addisyn and Reagan.
Baker has oversight of 18 varsity sports, a department budget of more than $90 million, approximately 250 employees, and nearly 500 student-athletes. Athletic success and academic achievement by student-athletes have highlighted Baker’s first two years, while the department also turned in its second-best fundraising numbers ever during the 2024 athletic year.
Before he was contacted about the AD job, Baker had very little experience of West Virginia. “Marshall was in our conference when I was at North Texas, and I had been to Huntington once. But what I have found is a culture very similar to where I grew up in Oklahoma,” he says. “The people here are so kind and friendly. My wife and daughters love it here.”
Looking ahead to the 2024/25 athletic seasons, Baker sees a bright future for WVU. “Looking back on last year, our athletic program as a whole had one of the best years we have ever had,” he says. “We had several teams have record years, lots of record-breaking crowds. We are excited about our new basketball coach, and the football program has great momentum.”
The world of college athletics has undergone seismic shifts in recent years. Universities across the country are trying to adapt quickly to the changes, including new rules related to the right to publicity—known as name, image, and likeness, or NIL, rules—and to the rules governing how student-athletes can transfer among institutions via the NCAA transfer portal. “We wanted someone who clearly understood the dynamics of a fast-changing athletics environment and had found success being at the forefront of this new world that includes managing NIL and the portal,” said WVU President Gordon Gee upon Baker’s announcement.
“What has changed athletic recruiting the most has been the transfer portal,” says Baker. “It has made recruiting so much more national. Rosters are getting older, and you are seeing more transfers on rosters than ever before. The mix between transfers and high school recruits has changed a lot in recent years, and it is a delicate balance to manage.”
Baker sees the formula for athletic success in the future as a competitive NIL environment and a culture where students are developed and nurtured athletically, academically, and socially and prepared to be better people. Doing this consistently is the key to long-term success.
It is the responsibility of the university in recruiting and player development to champion the value of a college education to potential and current athletes, he believes. Recruiting coaches and staff who will emphasize this message is critical.
Baker is committed to adapting to the changing athletic landscape and creating an environment for success. “We cannot sit around and talk about the way that we wish college athletics should be,” he says. “You have to deal with the reality of what it is.”
More Than Just Athletics
In a state without professional sports franchises, West Virginians have a strong passion for WVU sports. This is already evident to Wren Baker in his short time in the Mountain State. He also sees an even higher mission and responsibility that is carried
by the athletic programs at
the university.
“Competing here is probably more important than at any other school in the country,” says Baker. “I think WVU athletics is one of the greatest branding opportunities for the state. This is an incredible state with hard-working people and an abundance of natural resources. As we work to retain residents and improve job opportunities and educational opportunities, WVU athletics is key to bringing awareness to these issues for the state. It is not an option for us to not be competitive in this new world.”
Baker and his coaches all feel this responsibility and understand that, operating in a state with no professional sports teams, the situation at WVU is somewhat unique.
“In the more than six years that I was at North Texas, when I was away from campus, I was recognized and asked a question about athletics maybe five or six times,” says Baker. “Here in West Virginia, I have not once been in a public place and not been recognized. We may only have 1.8 million people in the state, but I think 1.6 million are hanging on every possession.”
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