Ryan Baker is building championship success on a consistent basis for Colgate Volleyball.
The Colgate volleyball program has reached new heights under Baker, who in 2022 became the first head coach in program history to be named Patriot League Coach of the Year four times. He earned the honors once again in 2023, now a five-time Patriot League Coach of the Year.
One of two coaches in Colgate Volleyball history with more than 300 victories, Baker has compiled a 322-217 record in addition to a 197-69 (.740) record in Patriot League play during his 19 seasons at the helm of the Raiders.
- 5x Patriot League Coach of the Year (2007, 2012, 2019, 2022, 2023)
- 3x Colgate Athletics Howard Hartman Coach of the Year (2008, 2012, 2013)
- 5x Patriot League Champions (2012, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
- 54 All-Patriot League honorees (27 First Team, 27 Second Team)
- 18 Patriot League Tournament appearances
- 5 Patriot League Players of the Year (2013, 2019, 2020-21, 2022, 2024)
- Two Patriot League Defensive Players of the Year (2006, 2007)
- Two Patriot League Rookies of the Year (2007, 2017)
- Three Patriot League Setter of the Year (2020-21, 2021, 2022)
- Three AVCA All-American Honorable Mentions (Kurowski, Lowe, Bayless)
- Two Patriot League Scholar-Athletes of the Year
Consistent Championship Success
Baker’s first season at the helm came in 2006, and since then he has brought the Raiders to new heights. Annually playing a national schedule that prepares the team for conference action, Colgate has only finished outside of the top-four in the league twice under Baker’s leadership and has made nine appearances in the Patriot League championship match.
Under Baker’s tutelage, the Raiders have appeared in 18 Patriot League tournaments including a run of four consecutive conference title matches from 2020-24. Colgate swept the Patriot League regular season and tournament championships in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Baker is Colgate’s first volleyball coach to secure three Patriot League tournament titles - and in 2024 compiled his fifth crown.
Milestone Campaigns
Colgate has experienced milestone campaigns under Baker’s guidance. The Raiders captured their first-ever win over an SEC opponent with a dominant 3-1 victory against Tennessee in 2022.
Colgate finished the 2022 season 24-6 overall, tied for the second-most wins in a single-season (2019), to go along with a 14-2 conference campaign. Julia Kurowski, the first three-time Patriot League Setter of the Year, became the program’s all-time leader in assists.
During the 2021 season, the Raiders captured their first Patriot League championship since 2012. Baker’s regular season champion Raiders knocked off Navy in the semifinals before dethroning American 3-1 in the championship at Cotterell Court.
Baker garnered his third Patriot League Coach of the Year accolade in 2019 after leading the squad to a regular season title with a 15-1 record in league action. Colgate finished the season with 24 wins, tied for the second most in program history (1988), just three shy of the program record of 27 wins in the Division I era (1996). The Raiders advanced to the NIVC Quarterfinals after defeating Boston College and Tulane in the opening rounds.
The 2018 season featured Baker's 200th victory at the helm of the program in a sweep of Lafayette on Cotterell Court (Sept. 28). During that season, the Raiders marked a notable victory when they earned their first win over a Big Ten program since 1991 in a 3-1 final against Rutgers at the Cal Tournament (Aug. 24).
Awards
Baker became the first Colgate Volleyball coach to earn four Patriot League Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Raiders to their second consecutive conference title in 2022. Colgate bested Tennessee 3-1 during non-conference play for the program’s first-ever win over an SEC opponent and secured the regular season title with a 14-2 League mark. The Raiders finished 24-6 overall, their second-most single-season wins in program history.
Colgate’s 2019 season, which featured an NIVC quarterfinal appearance, saw the Raiders finish a remarkable 15-1 against conference opponents. Baker was honored with Patriot League Coach of the Year honors for the third time in his career after guiding Colgate to a 24-win season, tied for the second most in a single-season in program history.
When he led the Raiders to the 2012 Patriot League Championship title, Baker was again recognized by his peers as Coach of the Year. After an 0-10 start, the Raiders turned the season around by winning their first eight Patriot League games to garner a 17-14, 12-2 conference mark. The season came to a close in Austin, Texas, where Colgate lost to the eventual national champion Texas Longhorns in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Baker’s second season at the helm ended with his first Patriot League Coach of the Year honor after Colgate finished the season with a 11-3 conference record, good for second place. Under his leadership, the Raiders advanced to their first Patriot League championship match for the first time since 2000 and secured their first winning season since 1996.
Being recognized within the department, Baker has been honored with the Howard Hartman Coach of the Year award on three occasions including 2008, the 2012 Patriot League Championship season, and for the 22-win campaign in 2013.
The award was established in memory of Howard N. Hartman, who was head basketball coach at Colgate between 1949-62 and also served as an assistant with the football, baseball and lacrosse programs. The honor is awarded annually to the Colgate coach who best represents leadership, spirit, discipline and determination that Hartman exemplified.
Before Colgate
Baker came to Colgate after garnering a 22-11 record as head coach at Clarkson. The successes of his 2004 team marked the fourth-highest win total and third-best winning percentage in the program’s 30-year history. He led Clarkson to a third-place finish at the Liberty League Championship and had six student-athletes named to the conference’s all-academic team in addition to having setter Suzanne Clarvoe named to CoSIDA Academic All-District I Second Team honors.
Prior to his stop at Clarkson, Baker rejoined his alma mater Ithaca College as a graduate assistant coach where the Bombers posted a 24-19 overall record and made an appearance in the ECAC Upstate New York Tournament championship match.
In addition to gaining coaching experience with the Southern Tier club team in 2004, Baker coached his high school program at New York Mills during the 2001-02 seasons. While playing at New York Mills, Baker was a four-year letterwinner and was named team MVP in his senior season.
A 2003 graduate of Ithaca, Baker was a four-year member of the Bombers’ club team as a libero and setter. He served as president and coach of the team for two years, helping the squad to a fifth-place national ranking in 2000 and 2001.
Personal
A native of New York Mills, New York, Baker graduated from Ithaca in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism before earning his master’s degree in sport psychology from Ithaca in 2007. He is married to the former Kristin Fiorillo of Corning, New York, who is the volleyball head coach at nearby Hamilton College. The family has two young sons, Brody and Landon, and a daughter, Elliot.
Get to Know Ryan Baker
- An influential Person in My Career: Russ Rose, the current Penn State head coach who has won six national championships. He mentored and believed in me at a young age.
- An Idea or Invention I wish I had thought of: I’ve had lots of things I’ve wanted to bring to Shark Tank, but my latest invention would be a self-wiping diaper.
- What I Like about my Job: I love watching a team compete and fight.
- What I Like about Competing: I think you find out a lot about someone’s spirit and will when something is on the line.
- What I would Like to Change: The minus-25 degree temperatures.
- What I Like that would Surprise Those who know me: Judge Judy.
- What I Like about Myself: I truly enjoy life and having fun.
Miscellaneous Favorites
- Heroes: My mom. She always challenges me, but believes in me. Also, my wife who just endured labor!
- Possession: At the moment, my Bose noise canceling headphones. It cancels all the screams and demands.
- Memento: My Coach K autograph.
- Magazines: ESPN The Magazine.
- Gadget: I am not very tech savvy, but I do love my iPhone.
- App: Instagram – taking pics of baby Brody.
- Music Type, Singer or Group: I’m not picky, just not country.
- Books: Any book written by a current or former coach.
- Food: Cereal, especially Maple Brown Sugar Life.
- Movies: Too many to name.
- Quote: “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Baker's Colgate Career
YEAR OVERALL PL POSTSEASON
2006 14-15 6-8 --
2007 17-13 11-3 Patriot League Final
2008 15-14 9-5 Patriot League Final
2009 15-13 11-3 Patriot League Semifinal
2010 18-12 10-4 Patriot League Final
2011 12-18 8-6 Patriot League Semifinal
2012 17-14 12-2 Patriot League Champions, NCAA First Round
2013 22-9 13-3 Patriot League Final
2014 15-11 9-7 --
2015 12-16 10-6 Patriot League Semifinal
2016 18-11 13-3 Patriot League Final
2017 18-11 9-7 NIVC First Round
2018 14-15 9-7 Patriot League Semifinal
2019 24-8 15-1 Patriot League Semifinal, NIVC Quarterfinals
2020-21 8-2 7-1 Patriot League Final
2021 18-10 13-3 Patriot League Champions, NCAA First Round
2022 24-6 14-2 Patriot League Champions, NCAA First Round
2023 22-8 13-3 Patriot League Champions, NCAA First Round
Totals 303-206 183-67
