Haddonfield's Nick Baker, a South Jersey coaching legend, dies at 70

The Haddonfield and South Jersey running communities are grieving the loss of one of their strongest and most beloved leaders.

Nick Baker, a teacher and coach at Haddonfield Memorial High School for almost five decades, passed away on Saturday after a long fight with lung cancer. He was 70.

One of the most successful coaches in any sport in New Jersey history with 37 combined state championships in cross country and track/field, Baker meant much more than just wins and titles to the generations of runners under his watchful eye, as well as fellow coaches and administrators.

“Nick was one of those people who was larger than life,” Haddonfield athletic director Lefteris Banos said. “An honest, good-caring person who always put the interests of his students in front of everything.

“There was no ego, he just wanted to make sure his runners, no matter how talented they were, would improve from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. He was competitive as anyone, but he never forgot that every single kid mattered on his teams. The top guys would bring the championships, but Nick made those 18th, 19th and 20th guys on the team feel just as valuable and important as the others. And those kids didn’t want to let down Coach Baker."

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Many former runners and friends left messages of hope on during Baker’s illness and after his passing on a Well Wishes page at CaringBridge.com.

“Coach Baker, thank you,” Tim Vitez wrote. “You introduced me to a sport and to a team that changed my life. I formed friendships that have lasted 20+ years. I learned discipline and a work ethic that, even now, continue to impact me positively. Perhaps most importantly you helped give a 15-year-old, knucklehead kid, direction and purpose. The memories from those teams are some of the best of my life. I can only hope that my two kids have exposure and access to a coach like you one day. Thank you for everything!”

Former Courier-Post running reporter Jeff Wolfe added, “The positive influence you’ve had on so many individuals and the effect it has had will last for generations.”

Austin Stoner, who would later run at Yale University, said there’s been one important thread that combines Haddonfield harriers throughout the years.

“It’s Coach Baker,” Stoner said in an interview last month. “Consistency is always key and Coach Baker is that heartbeat.”

Baker was the Haddonfield boys' cross country head coach since 1982, guiding the Haddons to 35 sectional titles and 17 state group crowns, according to MileSplitNJ.com. He owned a 375-16 in dual meets and his teams won 26 straight Colonial Conference titles.

His 2001 team, Baker’s Bulldawgs captured the Meet of Champions title and finished fifth in the nation.

Last month, Baker watched his team break the South Jersey record for consecutive dual-meet wins with 245, eclipsing the old mark held by Paul VI from 1979-2007. The Haddons’ streak now stands at 251.

“Twenty-seven years with no clunkers,” Baker said a few days before the record-setting meet. “Pretty incredible when you think of having a year with a down class or a bad injury or untimely illness, which always can happen.

“It’s a testament to all the kids that have gone through this program. This streak is about them. It’s all those captains over that period of time. It’s not just the All-South Jersey kids and the all-conference kids. It’s everybody, the runners, the coaches, the families and the community.”

Baker maneuvered his way around the course on his scooter that day, helping instruct his runners during the race. Though Baker was still undergoing radiation treatments, the gentle smile never left the Dublin, Ireland native’s face.

Banos said that Baker was one of the first coaches who helped him in his transition as a new athletic director.

“He showed me the way of Haddonfield,” Banos said.

Haddonfield honored Baker and his wife, Maureen, in 2019 with officially naming Baker Track on its campus. Their children, Courtney and Colin, both ran for Haddonfield and have coached at the middle school and high school level, respectively.

Baker was Haddonfield’s outdoor track head coach from 1978-2003 before becoming an assistant coach. He also started Haddonfield’s indoor track program in 1978 and was the head coach until 2014. The coach guided the Haddons to nine winter track state titles, six indoor state relay titles and five outdoor state championships, according to MileSplitNJ.com.

Baker was inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, including the New Jersey State Coaches, Camden County Sports and South Jersey Track Coaches. He was also the president of the SJTCA for 20 years and the vice president for 14 more.

The Baker family will receive friends on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 5-8 p.m. and again on Friday, Oct. 20 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Christ the King RC Church, 200 Windsor Ave., Haddonfield, where his Funeral Mass will follow promptly  at 11 a.m. The interment is private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Baker’s name may be made to the Haddonfield Educational Trust, PO Box 178, Haddonfield, NJ, 08033.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Nick Baker built Haddonfield into a running power, died at 70