WVU AD Wren Baker Addresses Oklahoma Rumors with a Clear Message

The moment the news broke that Joe Castiglione would be stepping down and retiring from his position as the athletic director at Oklahoma, some folks with no connections began making baseless claims that West Virginia AD Wren Baker was a candidate to replace him.

In reality, it was just connecting the dots, thinking, well, because Baker is from Oklahoma, has family there, and it's an SEC job, it would be enough to throw out the "candidate" label.

Just a few days ago in our weekly mailbag on West Virginia On SI, I was asked about the Oklahoma rumor. Here was my response.

Q: Due to the Oklahoma/Wren talks (which I don't believe is going to amount to anything), how much of Wren's appeal to bigger schools in the future will hinge upon how RR does with the football program?

A: Great question. As far as the Oklahoma thing goes, I don't believe there is anything to it. At least as of this morning, I haven't heard anything between the two. Winning makes everyone look better, including the AD. If Rich Rod turns the football program around and Ross Hodge gets the basketball team back to the dance consistently, then yeah, he'll have a flashier profile. That doesn't mean he'll leave, though.

In an interview on the John Fredricks Radio Show on Thursday, Baker squashed the rumor himself.

“Here’s what I would say to that - there’s no truth to the speculation or rumors at this point. That’s just people drawing lines, and I think this is the fourth or fifth time since I’ve been here that people had me out door, and not one time have I taken an interview or even have a conversation with anybody about another job. We love living here, it’s a great place to live. I love the outdoors. The summers here are incredible. And more importantly, I have a wife and two daughters, and they’re perfectly happy here. You never say never because you don’t know what the future holds. Trust me, I’m aware of what the average athletic director tenure is; it’s about six years. Sometimes you’re like a preacher, and the congregation is ready to hear the message from somebody else. But yeah, there’s no truth to any of that speculation.

"We love it here. I usually don’t address specific institutions. It shouldn’t be my responsibility to put out fires that other people are starting. And sometimes, when you start doing that, like when you comment on a coach’s status during a rough season. Well, then, when you don’t, people read too much into it. I just try to keep doing my job like I do every day and let people who want to speculate speculate. But I think what I can say here is I can look anybody in the face and say it is, I love being here, and I feel like it’s a privilege to be in this program. I’m an unapologetic champion for everything West Virginia - tourism, living here, it’s a great place. I think it’s important as a leader to be where your feet are.”

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