CALDWELL, Idaho – For College of Idaho men's soccer head coach
Thom Baker, the campus has turned into a second home for both him and his family.
Baker, a 1995 graduate of the C of I, has been joined on campus over the years by wife Stephanie, daughter Taylor and son Cole.
"Not only have we all gone to C of I and graduated, but we all played sports here," Baker said. "Stephanie and I played soccer - where she was much better than me - Taylor was a several time All-American in swimming and Cole just finished his senior season for the highly successful lacrosse team. It turns out I was probably the least talented in the family."
It's not uncommon for coaches on campus to be graduates of the school, with nine of the 14 head coaches within the Coyote athletic programs having earned a diploma from C of I.
Just like Baker, there is a reason so many of them choose to return to campus following their time as students. The strong family feel within all levels of campus is something that not only helps bring quality coaches into the fold, but also serves as a key pitch in the recruiting process.
"Every recruit I have ever had has been told about how C of I is a family," Baker said. "So many of our coaches and faculty have had kids that matriculated here, and many of those kids played sports here. It is not just about sports though. Many of the key staff have been here for years and provide strong stability and core values. That is what I tell them - sports teams have up years and down years - but the school is a constant. It is their YoteFam."
This upcoming fall will be Baker's eighth season leading the men's soccer program after spending time in the Idaho prep ranks at Vallivue and Bishop Kelly, where his teams combined to win 131 games.
The Yotes have made four trips to the postseason under Baker, with 13 players taking home All-Cascade Conference honors, 10 earning NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades and 26 being named to the CCC All-Academic team.
Prior to embarking on his journey into coaching, Baker played in 44 games for the Coyote soccer program over the course of four seasons from 1990-93.
After growing up in Wyoming and spending time living in many other states, the choice on where to continue his education came down to three schools.
"My options after high school were to follow everyone to the University of Wyoming or to attend Carroll College or C of I," Baker said. "At the time C of I was the only one of those colleges that had soccer. My recruiter was very involved and I felt a real connection, so I met John Calpin on a visit and walked on here."
Calpin, the winningest coach in the history of the men's soccer program, posted 190 wins during the course of 18 seasons.
Over 20 years after Thom had made his own decision on where to attend college, his daughter Taylor would herself be going through a similar process following her time at Bishop Kelly.
"If Portland, Gonzaga or the other bigger colleges didn't end up being a fit, C of I was a decent alternative she thought," Thom said. "As we were in the large tour of prospective students and parents, Taylor and I cut off from the main pack by the Activities Center. I wanted to introduce her to the multitude of professors and administrators that were still working at C of I after nearly 20 years – Jim Fennell,
Reagan Rossi,
Shawn Humberger,
Cisco Limbago, Liz and
Al Mendiola,
Brian Smith (Baker was classmates with the Mendiola's and Smith at C of I),
Mike Shines, and of course, Marty Holly."
During the tour, the Baker's would run into Holly downstairs in the Activities Center.
"In true Marty fashion he was excited to see me and proceeded to cover about 10 topics in five minutes," Baker said. "One of the things Marty talked about was asking my opinion of a candidate for the soon to be open head coaching position for the men's soccer team."
Thom was still heavily involved at the time in the Treasure Valley soccer community as an official at the Division I, Division II and NAIA levels, while also serving as a coach at the high school level.
"As we discussed the coaching position it clearly dawned on Marty that this wasn't just a social call for me," Baker said. "As I explained to Marty that my oldest - who was born on the day that I graduated from C of I - was on a tour of campus, the wheels started turning in his head. Two days later he offered me the job while we watched a track meet at the Idaho Center. After all the time that had elapsed since I graduated from C of I, many things had not changed, like wanting to keep things in the family. I returned to the lair and was bringing family with me."
Taylor went on to make three trips to the NAIA Championships as a member of the swim team, including finishing eighth nationally in the 200-free relay in 2016 and being a part of the 2017 400-yard freestyle relay group that set a then school-record time to finish in fourth.
After graduating from Bishop Kelly, Cole followed in the footsteps of his sister and parents by joining the YoteFam, spending four seasons on the lacrosse team, including being a part of the 2019 squad that made the semifinals of the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association Division II National Championships. Cole also hit the first ever $1,000 half-court shot during a men's basketball game earlier this year.
While it's been a constant recently to see someone from the Baker family participating on the field or in the pool, Thom also helps behind the scenes as the game manager for lacrosse and as the scoreboard operator for all home men's and women's basketball games.
"Thom is a tremendous asset to our athletic department," said associate athletic director
Danielle Brazil. "Not only does he do an outstanding job mentoring the young men he recruits into the soccer program, but he's an asset to the overall department. He's always the first person willing to help anyone in need and assists in multiple functions around campus. As an alum, Thom bleeds purple and gold and strives to help our students reach their very best."
Outside of C of I, Baker serves as a middle school science teacher at Elevate Academy, a year-round Career and Technical Charter School in Caldwell that serves students from 6th-12th grades.
"We recognize that not all students are created in the same model," Baker said. "The students at Elevate will learn a trade like welding, criminal justice, emergency medical technician and culinary - amongst many that we have - so that they are ready to tackle the career that they choose with the skills necessary to get a job right away."
Elevate is the brain child of Monica White and former C of I football coach and current Go Purple coordinator Matt Strong.
"After having led the alternative high school in Caldwell, Matt and Monica saw a real need for legitimate solutions for the kids that they were responsible for," Baker added. "The community was instrumental in helping get Elevate off the ground. Many businesses wanted and needed skilled laborers due to a massive shortage and they were willing to support the creation of Elevate in many ways."
Each day at Elevate presents an opportunity to help others, which is a perfect fit for Baker and the rest of the staff.
"Every day is a success story at Elevate," Baker said. "Many of these kids come from very tough backgrounds like homelessness, poverty, parents in jail, academic challenges and gang activity in and around their home. So many of our kids have made great strides academically. I am proud of that every day – that they have measurable success. I work with the greatest staff in the world, just as I work with the greatest athletic department at C of I. The administrations of both of those schools is without peer."
Being able to work with young students has been a fun challenge that keeps him on his toes, with plenty of laughs and triumphs along the way.
While those that know him feel lucky to be able to interact with such a selfless person who puts the needs of others in front of his own, Thom says it was luck that led him into the field in the first place.
"Honestly, I lucked into teaching. I was an English major my freshman year and despite all of Diane Raptosh's efforts to make me a stellar writer, I switched to elementary education the next year after meeting my future wife, Stephanie, who was also a Yote soccer player."
After 25 years in education, it seems like Thom made the right career choice.
