Nicholaus Baker - Assistant Men's Crew Coach - Men's Rowing Coaches

Nicholaus Baker

Title:
Assistant Men's Crew Coach
Email:
nab85@drexel.edu
Phone:
x-0907

Nicholaus Baker is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with Drexel Crew in 2017-18. He is tasked with coaching the men’s freshmen boats and recruiting.

In each of his first three seasons with the Dragons, Baker helped the team continue to build on its success. Primarily coaching the men’s freshmen, Baker assisted Drexel to the Dad Vail Regatta overall title in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the latter of which was the team’s fifth in a row, as well as the men’s points title in 2015. The men’s freshmen eight took home the gold medal in 2015, 2016 and 2017, while the men’s freshmen four raced to the bronze medal in 2015. The Drexel freshmen capped an impressive season at the IRA National Championships with the eight finishing sixth and fifth in the country in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The freshmen eight earned strong victories throughout each season, including the Head of the Schuylkill, Frostbite Regatta, Murphy Cup, Knecht Cup, Kerr Cup and Bergen Cup.

Prior to Drexel, Baker served as the head coach of Penn’s lightweight rowing team for five years. At Penn, the Quakers nearly captured the Matthews-Leonard Cup for the first time in 20 years and then lost when they almost claimed the Dodge Cup for the first time in 19 years. In his first year, Penn finished sixth at Eastern Sprints to reach the IRA Regatta for the first time in three years. At the national championships, the Quakers posted the program’s best finish since 2005, placing seventh. In 2013, the Quakers claimed the Callow Cup for the first time in 13 years and he coached the freshmen to an undefeated season against the Ivy League, earning a medal at EARC Sprints for the first time since 1990.

Baker arrived at Penn with seven years of coaching experience, serving previously as the head coach of the men’s lightweight team at Navy. The Midshipmen’s varsity eight were ranked in the top-four all season and earned the silver medal at the prestigious Head of Charles Regatta, while the lightweight four took the bronze medal at the same event. Also while serving at the helm in Annapolis, Baker’s junior varsity and third varsity boats finished the season with only one regular season loss apiece with the junior varsity winning the silver medal at EARC Sprints.

Prior to taking over the head coaching duties, Baker served as the lightweight assistant at Navy for three seasons. During that time, he coached the freshman boats to six medals (two gold, two silver and two bronze) in six attempts at EARC Sprints as well as accumulating IRA gold (2007) and silver (2008) medals. Under his direction, the first and second freshman boats went a combined 21-5 in the regular season, including one undefeated season for each boat. Navy’s freshmen claimed two of three titles at Belly of the Carnegie under Baker.

Before leaving for the United States Naval Academy, Baker spent one season as the heavyweight assistant coach at Yale where he led the third varsity boat to an undefeated cup season and the EARC Sprints title. Also on Baker’s coaching resume are stints the West Side Rowing Club in Buffalo, N.Y., and the Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia.

A 2001 graduate of University at Buffalo, he served as team captain and president of the rowing team.