University of Delaware Football Adds Henry Baker and Brian Brown to Blue Hen Coaching Staff
July 12, 2011
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware football squad, coming off one of the finest seasons in school history in 2010 when the Blue Hens advanced to the national championship game, has added Henry Baker (top right) and Brian Brown (bottom right) to the coaching staff, head coach K.C. Keeler announced.
Baker, a former assistant at his alma mater Maryland as well as at East Stroudsburg, will take over as cornerbacks coach for Lyle Hemphill, who left UD this summer to take a full-time position on the staff at Stony Brook University.
Brown, a former Blue Hen linebacker, will serve as a graduate assistant defensive coach, taking over for Stephen Thomas, who is now serving as a graduate assistant at Southern Mississippi University.
“We are fortunate to have two bright, young coaches in Henry and Brian join our staff,” said Keeler, who led the Blue Hens to a 12-3 record, a share of the Colonial Athletic Association title, and a berth in the NCAA Division I FCS championship game on the way to earningAmerican Football Coaches Association and Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year honors in 2010. “Henry has served under two outstanding coaches in Ralph Friedgen and Denny Douds so I know that he brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong work ethic. From the time Brian was a player for us here at Delaware, I knew he was coaching material. He was always a student of the game, could direct the defense, and gave his all on every play. We are confident that both Henry and Brian will join (defensive coordinator) Nick Rapone and the rest of our defensive staff in leading us to even more great things this fall.”
Baker arrives at Delaware after serving as defensive backs coach at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) in 2010 under Douds, who recently completed his 37th season as head coach at ESU. The Warriors posted a mark of 3-8 in 2010 but allowed just 194.0 yards passing per game while registering a 130.5 defensive passing rating.
Prior to his one-year stint at ESU, Baker served two seasons under Friedgen at Maryland, which included the 2009 Rowdy Humanitarian Bowl championship team which finished with an 8-5 record. He was the interim inside linebackers coach for the Terrapins' bowl game and worked with the secondary, linebackers and special teams during his time in College Park.
A four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at defensive back at Maryland from 1994-97, Baker earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2003 and is pursuing a master’s degree in minority and urban education.
Baker previously served as Maryland's recruiting intern in 2001 and has high school coaching experience at Eastside High School in Paterson, N.J. (2003, 2005-06) and South Miami (Fla.) High School in 2007 before returning to his alma mater. His time at Eastside included an appearance in the New Jersey Group IV Section 1 state championship game.
He also spent extensive time in professional football, landing in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003, and competed in the Arena Football League with the New Jersey Red Dogs and Carolina Cobras and AFL2 with the Norfolk Nighthawks and Albany Firebirds.
“As a young coach, Delaware is one of those programs that if you can get in, you jump at the opportunity,” said Baker. “I am in a privileged position to learn from the leadership and tutelage of Coach Keeler and Coach Rapone and I'm looking forward to adding their experiences to my knowledge as a coach. The University of Delaware is a great place to work and I am very excited to be here.”
Brown, who is pursuing a master’s in business administration at Delaware, will team with fellow graduate assistant Andy Marino and will work on the defensive side of the ball while overseeing film breakdown and other duties.
He and his wife, Allison, were married this past May and reside in Chadds Ford, Pa. Allison (nee Stitt) played volleyball for head coach Bonnie Kenny at Delaware in 2006 and helped lead the Blue Hens to the CAA Tournament semifinals.
A native of Fayetteville, Ga., Brown was a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at outside linebacker for the Blue Hens in 2005-08. He played in 48 career games with 17 starts and recorded 117 tackles, including a career-high 53 stops as a senior in 2008. He also recorded 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 quarterback sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, and three pass breakups for his career. He played a key backup and special teams role and posted 26 tackles for the 2007 squad that registered an 11-4 record and advanced to the NCAA I-AA national championship game. Brown was a also a two-time member of the Colonial Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll.
After earning his degree in sport management with a minor in legal studies from Delaware in 2009, he began his coaching career at nearby Delcastle High School as a volunteer assistant in 2009 and assistant coach in 2010. In addition to his coaching position, he also worked as a district manager in the circulation department at the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Joining the Delaware coaching staff is a great opportunity for me to learn more about the game and becoming a college coach,” said Brown. “I learn something new every day. I played with some great players at Delaware and now I am working with great coaches. Coming back to Delaware was not a difficult decision for me. I am excited about helping us win games.”
