Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Richmond (Exh.) on October 25, 2025 at TBD
MBB
TBD
James Madison
at Richmond (Exh.)
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Men's Basketball
Baker, Calvin
Calvin Baker
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- baker4cj@jmu.edu
- Phone:
- 540-568-6462
- Physical Address:
- Atlantic Union Bank Center 1066 (645 University Blvd.) / MSC 4701
Calvin Baker completed his fifth season on the James Madison men's basketball coaching staff in the 2024-25 season after initially hired by Mark Byington before the 2020-21 season. In his current role, he serves as an assistant coach for the Dukes.
While at JMU, Baker has already helped develop 10 All-Conference players for the Dukes, including two conference Player of the Year awardees - Terrence Edwards Jr (2023) and Matt Lewis (2021). In the 2024-25 season, Baker helped Mark Freeman take home the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year award along with First Team All-Conference. Bryce Lindsay was named the Sun Belt Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 13.4 points per game and leading the league in 3-point percentage (40.8).
Baker was part of a JMU coaching staff that finished with a school-record 32 wins and a Second Round appearance in the Division I Men's Basketball Championship in 2023-24. The Dukes had two separate 14-game winning streaks, including beginning the year with a 14-0 record, which included a win at No. 4 Michigan State. After a 28-3 regular season, JMU rolled to a Sun Belt title over Arkansas State and defeated No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the Round of 64 for its first win in the Big Dance since 1982.
He also helped T.J. Bickerstaff earn Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year after averaging 13.9 points per game and a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game. Additionally, Noah Freidel earned Third Team All-Sun Belt honors in a season that saw the Dukes break numerous school records.
Baker originally joined the James Madison staff as Director of Player Development and Recruiting prior to the 2020-21 season, arriving in Harrisonburg as part of head coach Mark Byington's first staff.
Additionally, in both 2023 and 2024, Baker served as a guest coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA Summer League, helping the Cavaliers to the summer league title in 2023. In the summer of 2025, Baker also served as a guest coach Detroit Pistons' Summer League team.
Lewis' nod in 2021 was the Dukes' first conference Player of the Year nod in nearly 30 years, as the senior joined Vado Morse and Justin Amadi on All-Colonial Athletic Association teams. Morse was named Second Team All-CAA the following season, while Terrence Edwards added more than four points per game to his scoring average in 2022-23, earning Sun Belt Sixth Man of the Year and Second Team All-SBC nods.
In 2022-23, Baker's third at JMU and the program's first as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, the Dukes racked up 22 wins - their most since the 1981-82 campaign. JMU set season records for total points (2,658), total rebounds (1,257), total steals (298) and steals per game (9.03), while the Dukes' scoring average of 80.5 points per game was the third-highest in their Division I history.
In his first season in Harrisonburg, Baker helped lead JMU to a remarkable turnaround, as the Dukes improved from 9-21 in 2019-20 to 13-7 in a logistically challenging 2020-21 campaign that saw JMU capture it's ninth CAA regular season title and earn the No. 1 seed to the CAA Tournament for the first time since 1992-93.
In 2021-22, Baker helped JMU navigate and overcome an unprecedented set of obstacles to still find success. Faced with a ban from the league's tournament, JMU overcame injuries and a 29-day COVID-19 pause to notch the program's second straight winning season, going 15-14 on the season.
Prior to JMU, Baker spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore after three years in the same role at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Va. There, he oversaw scouting, recruiting and player development. Baker has also served as an assistant coach with Nike Team Takeover and was the director of recruiting for Virginia's Under Armour Association grassroots program after starting his coaching career at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va.
A native of Newport News, Va., Baker played his college basketball at William & Mary in 2005-06 before transferring to Virginia for his final three years of eligibility.
He was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team in 2005-06 while playing with the Tribe, then served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons with the Cavaliers before graduating with a degree in sociology.
Baker is married to Celeste Baker, and they have a son, Calvin Jr, and a daughter, Emery.
Calvin Baker Coaching File:
While at JMU, Baker has already helped develop 10 All-Conference players for the Dukes, including two conference Player of the Year awardees - Terrence Edwards Jr (2023) and Matt Lewis (2021). In the 2024-25 season, Baker helped Mark Freeman take home the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year award along with First Team All-Conference. Bryce Lindsay was named the Sun Belt Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 13.4 points per game and leading the league in 3-point percentage (40.8).
Baker was part of a JMU coaching staff that finished with a school-record 32 wins and a Second Round appearance in the Division I Men's Basketball Championship in 2023-24. The Dukes had two separate 14-game winning streaks, including beginning the year with a 14-0 record, which included a win at No. 4 Michigan State. After a 28-3 regular season, JMU rolled to a Sun Belt title over Arkansas State and defeated No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the Round of 64 for its first win in the Big Dance since 1982.
He also helped T.J. Bickerstaff earn Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year after averaging 13.9 points per game and a team-leading 8.4 rebounds per game. Additionally, Noah Freidel earned Third Team All-Sun Belt honors in a season that saw the Dukes break numerous school records.
Baker originally joined the James Madison staff as Director of Player Development and Recruiting prior to the 2020-21 season, arriving in Harrisonburg as part of head coach Mark Byington's first staff.
Additionally, in both 2023 and 2024, Baker served as a guest coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA Summer League, helping the Cavaliers to the summer league title in 2023. In the summer of 2025, Baker also served as a guest coach Detroit Pistons' Summer League team.
Lewis' nod in 2021 was the Dukes' first conference Player of the Year nod in nearly 30 years, as the senior joined Vado Morse and Justin Amadi on All-Colonial Athletic Association teams. Morse was named Second Team All-CAA the following season, while Terrence Edwards added more than four points per game to his scoring average in 2022-23, earning Sun Belt Sixth Man of the Year and Second Team All-SBC nods.
In 2022-23, Baker's third at JMU and the program's first as a member of the Sun Belt Conference, the Dukes racked up 22 wins - their most since the 1981-82 campaign. JMU set season records for total points (2,658), total rebounds (1,257), total steals (298) and steals per game (9.03), while the Dukes' scoring average of 80.5 points per game was the third-highest in their Division I history.
In his first season in Harrisonburg, Baker helped lead JMU to a remarkable turnaround, as the Dukes improved from 9-21 in 2019-20 to 13-7 in a logistically challenging 2020-21 campaign that saw JMU capture it's ninth CAA regular season title and earn the No. 1 seed to the CAA Tournament for the first time since 1992-93.
In 2021-22, Baker helped JMU navigate and overcome an unprecedented set of obstacles to still find success. Faced with a ban from the league's tournament, JMU overcame injuries and a 29-day COVID-19 pause to notch the program's second straight winning season, going 15-14 on the season.
Prior to JMU, Baker spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore after three years in the same role at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, Va. There, he oversaw scouting, recruiting and player development. Baker has also served as an assistant coach with Nike Team Takeover and was the director of recruiting for Virginia's Under Armour Association grassroots program after starting his coaching career at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va.
A native of Newport News, Va., Baker played his college basketball at William & Mary in 2005-06 before transferring to Virginia for his final three years of eligibility.
He was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie Team in 2005-06 while playing with the Tribe, then served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons with the Cavaliers before graduating with a degree in sociology.
Baker is married to Celeste Baker, and they have a son, Calvin Jr, and a daughter, Emery.
Calvin Baker Coaching File:
- James Madison (Assistant Coach): 2024-Present
- James Madison (Director of Player Development & Recruiting): 2020-2024
- Maryland Eastern Shore (Assistant Coach): 2019-2020
- Paul VI High School (Assistant Coach): 2016-2019
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