Sports stats



ABA Rochester Razorsharks name head coach

August 25, 2005 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Rochester RazorSharks News Release


Rochester, NY. The Rochester RazorSharks today announced the hiring of Rodney Baker as the first head coach of the ABA team. Baker will begin his coaching duties immediately as the RazorSharks prepare for the upcoming season beginning in November.

"We are proud to have Rodney as the first head coach of the Rochester RazorSharks," said Orest Hrywnak, the RazorSharks COO and General Manager. "We are excited to have our basketball operations in place and ready to go for the 2005-2006 season. Rodney and Brendan Rooney, our Director of Player Personnel, are beginning to assemble a championship caliber team and with Rodney's on-court leadership and guidance, we all look forward to an exciting season of professional basketball."

Baker has coached at the professional and collegiate level for 28 years including head coaching positions with the Grand Rapids Hoops of the CBA, the University of California-Irvine, Tufts University and the Harlem Globetrotters. The resident of Montclair, NJ has also been an associate head coach or assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati, Rutgers University, Seton Hall, St. Josephs, Columbia, Brown and Holy Cross.

"I am very excited to become a part of the RazorSharks team," said Baker. "This is an excellent ownership group and I look forward to joining a first-year professional basketball operation and building this team into a championship club. Everyone in the basketball world knows that Rochester is a great professional sports city and I am eager to begin the challenge of bringing a winning team to Rochester."

Baker joins the RazorSharks after serving as the Head Coach and Director of Basketball Operations for the Harlem Globetrotters International since 2003 where he prepared and evaluated domestic and international players. The Globetrotters played approximately 30 competitive games per season against pro and college teams including a preseason fall college tour against Division I teams, where Baker racked up a 7-1 record, including wins against #3 Michigan State and #7 Syracuse.

Baker's international coaching experience includes stints as an assistant coach for the 1995 USA Basketball Men's Team at the World University Games in Japan and the 1993 USA Basketball Men's Team at the World University Games in Buffalo, NY. Both teams went undefeated and captured the Gold Medal. He has also hosted clinics and lectured on basketball in Belgium and Ireland. Baker played at Holy Cross from 1970-1974 earning a BA in English with an Education minor. The 53-year old Baker is married to wife Deborah and has two children, Zachary and Rachel. For more information, contact Orest Hrywnak at 585 232 9190 or razorsharks@aol.com or visit www.abalive.com. -

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.

• Discuss this story on the American Basketball Association message board...

American Basketball Association Stories from August 25, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Rochester RazorSharks Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central