ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The Liberal Redskins football team will have a new face at the helm this coming fall with Joel Baker, and as he tells it, he is no stranger to the game.
“I'm originally from San Antonio, and I played for Smithson Valley, which is on the north side of San Antonio. After I graduated from high school, I went to Sul Ross State University, where I played college football,” Baker said. “After that, I've spent the past 33 coaching, 30 of which have seen me in Texas, and I've coached every level from Class A to 6A throughout that time. I actually retired in Texas, then made my way to New Mexico, and I've been in Hobbs, N.M. for the past three years, and they're a 6A school with 2,800 students, so it's pretty big.”
Baker said he knew he wanted to be a coach from a young age.
“I've known I wanted to be a coach since I was in about 8th grade or so. My eyes were opened to that vision, and that's been the plan for many, many years. A big part of that is because my coaches from high school and college were very impactful on me in terms of being mentors and role models and all of that not just on the field but also in the classroom and everywhere else,” Baker said. “I knew coaching was something I wanted to do because I love the game, and I knew that was the path I wanted to ultimately go down. What I love about what I do is I don't necessarily consider it a job – as the old cliché goes, if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life, and that's really how I feel about my job. But the unique thing we deal with in the education field is every day has something different, no two days are exactly alike. Every year is different and brings in a new crop of students and athletes, and there are always challenges when it comes to that. What I love is the challenges are different every year and different every season. I can honestly say I haven't really dealt with too much monotony in my job, and that keeps things fresh every year and every season. I know I've aged, obviously, but I feel like I still have all the energy necessary to keep up with and connect with the students I work with.”
Ultimately, that path led Baker to Liberal, which he said is very exciting.
“I'd worked with some of them previously, and they called and asked about my interest in applying for the job, so that was the initial connection. In doing some research, I discovered rather quickly how Liberal has a strong tradition of being successful in football with a championship heritage, so I was intrigued and ended up applying for the position,” Baker said. “Before I interviewed, I did a lot of research into what the strengths and weaknesses were of the program and how things have been the past few seasons so I could have a good grasp of the situation and what work needs to be done to help keep the program's momentum going and sustain that success. As soon as they let me know I had the position, I was making phone calls and reaching out to everyone I could think of in terms of assistant coaches, planning the calendar for the spring and summer. As soon as I get boots on the ground there, I'll get things going.”
Baker said there is a lot of work to be done for the upcoming season.
“A big goal of mine is to help accelerate the success that's already happened the past few years. I know another big goal will be to win the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and beat everyone necessary to do that,” Baker said. “It'll also be important to take the season one game at a time and then push ourselves when it comes to the postseason – can we get to the second round, and then to the third round, etc., and build that success. Those are some big-picture goals for the season, and then something else I'll want to see happen is the guys reach their individual goals when it comes to offense and defense. We're going to play more of an air-raid style offense to make things more up-tempo, be more physical on defense, and make some innovations to the special teams. Then, in terms of the big picture, I want to make sure every football player 7th grade and older is aligned, I want to see that vertical alignment. I want the 7th graders to be running the same offense and defense as us and using the same terminology and everything else so there's that continuity all the way through. That way, when those guys get to their senior season, they have all that knowledge, and that's what will help keep building the program. I know that's what Liberal did in the past, and with the successful programs I've been part of, a key aspect has been that alignment and continuity at all levels. We'll also need to evaluate what strengths and weaknesses there are, and once we've done that, we can more fully plan. Another major step for me is getting my coaching staff together and having everyone ready to go – once that's all good to go, I think things will really start falling into place.”
With the upcoming season being his inaugural one with the Liberal Redskins, Baker said he is excited to be part of the team and the Liberal community.
“For me, the best times are those transition times, and I've done this multiple times already, so that means a fresh start for me and the athletes. There'll definitely be that sense of re-energizing, and we've got to capitalize on that throughout the entire season,” Baker said. “There's a big difference in taking over a program that needs rebuilding, and I've done that a few times already in my career with some of the programs I've worked with. I've actually been to Liberal multiple times prior to all of this process. I believe, strongly, the people of the Texas Panhandle and the people of Southwest Kansas are the same at the core, and it's all about faith, family and football. I know the Liberal community is very supportive of the program given the research I've done, and I feel strongly about meeting as many people as possible. Liberal is so similar to the other communities I've been in, and I think USD 480 will be a great place to work, live, and coach football.”
Overall, Baker said, he is ready to get to work.
“I'm very excited to take the position, and I'll be around in the community a lot coming up,” Baker said. “I'm really honored to be part of the program and help take the team far into the season, and I can't wait to be there in Liberal. In fact, if I could get there sooner, I would.”
