University of North Texas athletic director Wren Baker is leaving the school to take over in the same capacity at West Virginia University.
The news came down Wednesday morning before both universities made announcements early in the afternoon.
Baker came to UNT in the summer of 2016 and quickly transformed an athletics program that was struggling in Conference USA into one that is competitive across the board nationally at the Group of Five level, a step below the top five conferences in college athletics.
UNT’s transformation helped land it a spot in the American Athletic Conference and ultimately made Baker a prime candidate to move up to guide a Power Five program.
UNT was among six schools the American announced last year it is adding from C-USA. The school will make the jump to the American next summer.
“It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for my time here,” Baker told the Denton Record-Chronicle on Wednesday afternoon. “It’s been an honor to be the athletic director at North Texas and serve our student-athletes, students, alumni and fans. On the personal side, my family has enjoyed being a part of this community. We will cherish our time, memories and friendships here.
“The people are what has made this place special. That starts with President [Neal] Smatresk, who I will always say is one of the best partners an AD could ever have and work with. I am proud of our coaches, staff and student-athletes.”
Under Baker, UNT won 17 conference or division championships heading into the 2022-23 school year. The Mean Green’s competitive success was just part of the reason Baker earned the opportunity to take over a Power Five program.
UNT also made significant headway in terms of upgrading its facilities under Baker. UNT renovated the North Texas Athletic Center and opened the Lovelace & McNatt Families Practice Facility, a $16 million indoor football practice venue. During Baker’s tenure, the university invested more than $50 million in athletic facilities.
“It has been my pleasure to work with Wren for the past six years as our VP for Athletics and AD,” Smatresk said in a statement. “During this time, our athletics program has experienced record-setting success in virtually every area, including student academic performance, fundraising, overall conference records and championships. While we are sad to see him go, this is a great move for Wren and his family, and it speaks volumes for his success here at UNT.”
West Virginia University President Gordon Gee pointed to the success Baker has had in moving UNT athletics forward as a key factor in the school’s decision to turn its program over to him.
“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 [name, image and likeness opportunities for athletes] and the [transfer] portal,” Gee said.
Smatresk consistently credited Baker for moving UNT’s program forward during a changing time in college athletics and hiring a string of successful coaches. Baker brought on Grant McCasland in men’s basketball and Rodney DeLong in softball to take over struggling programs.
McCasland guided UNT to its first win in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in the spring of 2021, while DeLong guided the school’s softball program to its first NCAA tournament appearance last spring.
The success Baker enjoyed across the board made him an attractive candidate for schools competing in the upper echelon of college athletics. He passed on multiple opportunities to chase jobs at more prominent schools in the past.
The chance to take over at West Virginia was too much for UNT to hang on to Baker, who spoke of what the school has to offer in its announcement about the hire.
“WVU boasts a powerful brand reputation and a storied academic and athletic history,” Baker said. “My family and I can’t wait to get to Morgantown to build relationships and help take Mountaineer Athletics to even greater heights.”
UNT signed Baker to a contract extension last year that runs into early 2029. The deal included a $625,000 base salary to start with an annual bonus beginning at $100,000.
Baker’s contract includes a buyout of $250,000 he must pay UNT within 60 days of terminating his employment.
West Virginia signed Baker to a six-year contract with annual compensation of $1.1 million, plus incentives.
UNT will now turn its attention to hiring a new leader for its athletic program.
Jared Mosley, the school’s associate vice president for athletics, could be among those candidates. Mosley spent 10 years as the athletic director at Abilene Christian University and has often been mentioned by those close to the program as a potential replacement for Baker, if he were to leave the school to continue his rise through the world of college athletics.
Baker’s first job in college athletics was as the athletic director and men’s basketball coach at Rogers State University in Oklahoma. He quickly rose through the ranks from his first job at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic level, working as the athletic director at Division II Northwest Missouri State University and in high-level positions at the University of Memphis and the University of Missouri.
UNT offered Baker the opportunity to run a Division I program for the first time. Baker capitalized on that chance and further established himself as a rising star in college athletics.
Smatresk has often touted the importance of UNT athletics to the school and has supported the program throughout his tenure.
He was involved in hiring Baker and will now be in the market for an official to replace him.
“With solid infrastructure in place and a staff of great administrators and coaches, we are well positioned to continue our success,” Smatresk said. “We will begin our search soon, and I anticipate that we will attract a strong pool of candidates who can continue our remarkable upward trajectory as we transition into the American.”
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