University of Georgia Athletics
UGA Soccer Coach Patrick Baker Receives Contract Extension
November 29, 2007 | Soccer
“Patrick Baker has done an exceptional job of bringing our soccer program back into the national spotlight,” said Evans. “We are excited about the tremendous progress the team has made in his first three years and we feel that with Patrick as our head coach, the future of Georgia Soccer is very bright.”
Hired in December of 2004, Baker is nearing the end of the third year of his original five-year contract. The contract extension adds an additional three years, affirming Baker as the UGA soccer coach through 2012.
“I am honored to be the head women’s soccer coach at the University of Georgia and very excited about the contract extension,” said head coach Patrick Baker. “My staff has done a tremendous job and deserves a great deal of credit for our success. We have a special group of young ladies here that enjoyed a remarkable season and we have still only scratched the surface of our potential.”
Baker led the 2007 Bulldogs to a record-breaking campaign, becoming the first Georgia soccer coach ever to receive SEC Coach of the Year accolades. Georgia set new school records for most wins in a season (18), fewest losses (4) and earned a No. 3 national seed for the first time in the program’s history. The Bulldogs posted their best Southeastern Conference record in school history, finishing second overall with an 8-1-2 mark and battled to the SEC Tournament Championship game.
Georgia’s success in 2007 prompted the league’s coaches to select a school-record six players as All-SEC honorees. Additionally, Georgia’s Kelli Corless was named SEC Freshman of the Year, marking the second straight year a Bulldog earned that award. A total of nine different Bulldogs have earned 13 All-SEC accolades, including six First-Team selections, two Second-Team picks and six All-Freshman honorees.
In 2005, Baker’s first regular season as the Bulldogs’ head coach, Georgia recorded the second-best turnaround in SEC history, going 12-6-2 after the 2004 ended the season at 4-9-5. Baker’s 2006 and 2007 recruiting classes were ranked No. 8 and No. 14, respectively, becoming the two-highest ranked signing classes in Georgia soccer history.
