THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 2, 1996 TAG: 9607310154
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 47 lines
JENSON BAKER says he's going to be a much better football coach than Wilson High School had in the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
Remember that guy?
Who? Jenson Baker?
Yep, Baker is starting his second turn at the wheel of the Presidents. He resigned after the '94 season to accept a position on the Norfolk State University staff.
All the while, Baker has remained as a teacher at Wilson, working the college job on a part-time basis. But when a full-time position was not available there and the Wilson job became available again, Baker reapplied. And was chosen.
``Most certainly I will be a better coach than I was before,'' he explained. ``I feel I have learned a lot of football working with Darnell Moore at Norfolk State. He's one of the best football minds in the business and I hope some of it has rubbed off on me.
``I am more confident in my ability as an offensive coach now. And I have learned much more about defense.''
Added Baker: ``Coaching at the college level has been a wonderful experience for me.''
Baker, 39, already had a solid background in high school coaching. He was head coach at Cradock for three years and at Manor for one before the school was merged with Wilson. He then directed the Presidents for two seasons.
A one-time quarterback at Cradock High School and at Hampton University, Baker began his coaching career in Detroit. He was an assistant coach at Pershing and at Kettering before becoming head coach at Kettering in 1986.
He left Kettering to replace Bob Parker as Cradock's coach in 1989.
Joe Ladisic, recovering from cancer surgery, resigned as coach after last season. It was also his second stint as head coach. The previous two years Ladisic assisted Baker. In 1992, Ladisic was Wilson's head coach, succeeding Moore when he went to Norfolk State. Baker then was coaching Manor.
This year, Wilson is moving into the Eastern District along with the other Portsmouth schools.
``We will have a competitive football team, I promise you,'' said Baker. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Jenson Baker
Resigned in '94 to coach at NSU by CNB