MJ Baker
MJ Baker

Bio

MJ Baker took over the Eastern Florida State College program in 2017 and took off, leading the Titans to back-to-back conference titles and NJCAA Division I National Tournament appearances.

The program has reached the next level under Baker, winning the FCSAA/Region 8 Tournament for the first time in program history last season, becoming the first team outside of the Panhandle to win the Region VIII Championship. 

The Titans received teh No. 2 seed which was the first time the program has been seeded in the top eight and received a bye in the first round.

At the national tournament, Eastern Florida State College won their first two games for the second straight season, advancing to the national tournament semifinals for the first time. They would lose in a tight game to Trinity Valley Community College in the semifinals, just the second loss all season for the Titans.

The team finished a program-best 33-2 and was ranked No. 1 in the state and the nation for the first time.

In 2021-22, the program made history as the team went undefeated in conference play at 12-0 and made it to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Lubbock, Texas for the first time in program history. The Titans reached the quarterfinals of the national tournament, finishing with a program-record 28 wins.

In 2020-21, the Titans went 12-8 overall and finished third in the conference, making the state tournament for the fourth straight time.

In 2019-20, the Titans finished the season with a program-record 23 regular season wins and were ranked 22nd in the nation heading into the state tournament.  

In six seasons, Baker has 134 wins for the Titans program and has reached the state tournament all six seasons.

Baker joined the Titans after three successful seasons at Broward College, Baker had a 49-34 record and shared the conference title with Eastern Florida State College in 2016. Last season she led them to a 21-6 record, making the Region VIII Tournament for the second straight season. Baker was also named the Region VIII Coach of the year.

Before Broward College, Baker led Bluefield College to a record 22 wins and a first-ever top-25 ranking in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll. The team went 13-5 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play and advanced to the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament.

Baker began her coaching career at John Curtis Christian in Louisiana, winning state championships in both of her years as head coach.

In her 16 years as a head coach, Baker has a 328-158 record and has been named coach of the year six times.

As a player, Baker excelled both on and off the court and still holds season and career records for rebounding and blocked shots at the University of West Florida, where she was an honorable mention All-American as well as the UWF Female Athlete of the Year in 2005. She also was the Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2004 and made the Gulf South Conference All-Academic team in 2005.

Following her college career, Baker played professionally in Germany.

A native of Delaware, Ohio, Baker earned a bachelors in Psychology at the University of West Florida, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She is finishing up her master’s in Mental Health Counseling at West Florida.

Baker and her husband, Ganon, have three children, Kayonna, Kalel and Espn.