No matter where Richard Baker's journey took him, his hometown of Stroudsburg was never too far from his heart and spirit. He competed for Stroudsburg High School as a basketball player, he returned years later to patrol the sidelines as head varsity coach, and after serving as athletic director for Executive Education Academy, Baker is once again back home to serve as AD of his alma mater.
"It's really surreal for me to be able to come full circle," Baker said about being Stroudsburg's new AD. "I took a lot of pride as a student-athlete at Stroudsburg and doing things the right way. The support from my family has always been remarkable. I'm excited for the opportunity. I'm excited to come and just give back to the community that gave to me."
Baker spent a total of seven years at Executive, including the last three as Director of Athletics. As a player, he was second team All-State and conference Player of the Year while holding the school record for career steals and assists, which eventually led to his induction to the Lehigh Valley High School basketball Hall of Fame. And while it might not have been his ultimate goal to return to the Poconos, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility.
"I never burn bridges whenever I leave anyway," Baker said. "So, it's always a thought of whether an opportunity comes knocking, whether at Stroudsburg, somewhere else or even staying at Executive, I'm always going to look at doing what's right for myself and my family first, then I'll trust the process of what God leads me to do."
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There are already some familiar faces on the Stroudsburg athletic staff – boys' basketball coach Tarik El-Bassiouni was teammates with Baker in the 1990s. Both were even on the same team that faced the late Kobe Bryant in the 1996 state playoffs.
That aside, Baker has already communicated with some of his staff, and with his tenure officially starting July 1, he's prioritizing establishing standards and expectations of the program, along with professional development.
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"We've always had a strong tradition of not just winning on the playing field, but winning in life," Baker said. "Our kids have always held themselves with pride, celebrating Stroudsburg and having Mountie pride in our system. It's about going out and being a model citizen in society and do the things that we need to do to be successful."
The next time Baker cheers for the Mounties in competition, it's now a part of his job.
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