Baker University athletics is excited to announce the hiring of Justin Rees to become its newest head women’s basketball coach on Friday afternoon.
Rees brings over 19 years of collegiate coaching experience to Baker, most recently serving as the Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at NCAA Division I Valparaiso for four seasons.
He also served as the head women’s basketball coach at Missouri Valley College for the 2013-14 season, leading the Vikings to the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals. In that season, the Vikings improved its win total by 11 games, posting a 19-13 record under Rees.
“First, I am incredibly honored and excited to be joining Baker University and the women’s basketball family,” said Rees. “I would like to thank Athletic Director Nate Houser, Assistant Athletic Director Susan Decker, the rest of the search committee and the athletic department for this opportunity and welcoming me to Baldwin City.
“Baker basketball has a history of success and an expectation to strive for excellence both on and off the court and I look forward to building on those rich traditions. We have a strong foundation already in place and I cannot wait to get to work with our players and staff to grow our family and compete at the highest levels.”
Rees has led several players to All-Conference and All-America awards including NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Gabi Morales of Missouri Valley in 2013-14.
While at Valpo, he led seven players to All-Conference awards, including three All-Freshman/Newcomer Team award winners.
“We are very excited to welcome Justin into the athletic family here at Baker University,” said Baker Director of Athletics Nate Houser. “Justin has enjoyed success at all levels during his career as a basketball coach. He is familiar with our state and region, is a champion of student academic success and demonstrated that he understands what it means to run a successful program.
“Justin is a perfect fit to promote and sustain our goal of ‘Building Champions for Life.’ We look forward to sharing in the leadership and experience Justin will bring to Baker University and look forward to the exciting future of the women’s basketball program.”
The Barry University (Fla.) graduate has also included stops in his career as Assistant Coach at NCAA Division II William Jewell, NCAA Division II Ferris State and NCAA Division I Maine.
The Baker women’s basketball team has captured 20-wins in six-straight seasons and have advanced to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament in four of the last five seasons.
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