Baker Says Pressure Will Be On After Being Named Irvine Coach
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Rod Baker traded the Big East for the Big West on Wednesday when the Seton Hall assistant was named UC Irvine’s basketball coach.
“If in fact there is such a thing as an East Coast way to play basketball, that is how we will play,” said Baker, who was head coach at Division III Tufts University for five seasons before going to Seton Hall. “We will be aggressive. We will be hungry. We’re going to play pressure basketball. I’m not telling you we’re going to run up and down and jack it up. Hopefully the opposition is going to walk off the court and not have had a very good time.”
Baker, 39, signed a four-year contract with a base salary of $84,000, plus add-ons and incentives.
During Baker’s three seasons as an assistant to Seton Hall Coach P.J. Carlesimo, the Pirates made the NCAA tournament twice, reaching the championship game in 1989 and advancing to the West Regional final this season before losing to Nevada Las Vegas.
Baker had a 72-52 record in five years at Tufts, in Medford, Mass.
He replaces Bill Mulligan, who retired at the end of the season after 11 years at Irvine. The Anteaters finished with an 11-19 record.
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