Wayne Baker
Wayne Baker
  • Title:
    Director of Athletics
  • Organization:
    Odessa College Athletics
  • City:
    Odessa
  • State:
    TX
  • Phone:
    432-335-6567
  • Email:
    wbaker@odessa.edu
  • Hometown:
    Hutchinson, KS
  • College :
    Kansas State University

Bio

Wayne Baker begins his 15th year as the Athletic Director of the Wranglers with the onset of the 2023-24 academic year.  Baker comes to Odessa College after working in the national office of the NJCAA for twenty four years, including the last five as the Executive Director of the National Junior College Athletic Association, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  While Baker was with the NJCAA, he worked primarily in the areas of eligibility and compliance, men’s national championships and office management.  Additionally, Wayne represented the NJCAA on multiple National Olympic Governing bodies and led NJCAA national teams on international trips

Baker comes to Odessa College with a great deal of experience within the two year college athletic system within the USA, having represented the NJCAA at NCAA, NAIA, NACDA, AACC, NATYCAA, USA Olympic Committee and multiple individual Visitor and Convention Bureaus.  Moving to Odessa provided the opportunity to work on campus, directly with student-athletes, particularly at an institution where both the administration and the community are fully vested in the success of the students and the athletic program at the college.

Wayne accepts the challenge of providing the student-athletes at Odessa College with every opportunity to excel in all areas of their college life.  Baker stated “it is extremely important that we as coaches and educators do everything within our reach to make our students successful athletically, academically and socially.  It is our charge to provide the best college experience possible for those young people within our care”.

In his fourteen years at Odessa College, Baker has overseen programs that have captured over 40 Western Junior College Athletic Conference titles, 39 Region V Titles and have made 56 national tournament appearances, capturing five national titles.   Additionally, over 180 student-athletes from OC have been named NJCAA all-American, with over 600 named academic all-Americans.   During the 2022-23 season alone, OC had nine All-Americans on the floor/field and 75 academic All-Americans with three teams named to the NJCAA academic team of the year list. 

A goal of the athletic program at Odessa College is to oversee the complete success of the student-athlete and to place our athletes into successful four year programs.  In the past twelve years, Odessa College has over a 90% success rate in the graduation and placement of those student-athletes that stay with the program throughout their two year college career.

Wayne is married to Dr. Anita Baker, a practicing veterinarian.  The Bakers have two grown children, Jennifer McMillin of Overland Park, KS and Tyler Baker of Loveland, CO.  Additionally four grandchildren keep the Bakers busy when not involved with work.