Worcester, MA --- WPI Head Women's Basketball Coach Cherise Galasso announced today that Jessica Baker will join her coaching staff as the top assistant.  Baker replaces Kaitlyn O'Malley, who resigned after two years to pursue a graduate degree.

Baker joins the Engineers after spending the last three years at Connecticut College as an assistant coach for the women's basketball and field hockey teams.

This past winter she helped guide the Camels to a 12-12 record in the ultra-competitive NESCAC.   Earlier in the fall, the field hockey team overcame several key injuries to narrowly miss qualifying for the NESCAC Tournament.

"We are thrilled to have Jessica join our staff," said Galasso. "She brings a wealth of coaching experience, a passion for the game and the type of commitment to the student-athletes we pride ourselves on at WPI. She will be a great asset to our program."

In each of the past three summers, Baker has helped run Connecticut College's basketball camp and in 2007 she served as the co-director. Through the Middlebury Parks and Recreation department, Baker concurrently ran a basketball camp for boys and girls from the ages of 6 to 15 in 2006 and 2007.

"I am very excited to be joining the WPI women's basketball staff," said Baker. "From the moment I stepped on campus it was clear that WPI has an amazing community filled with hardworking individuals. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Coach Galasso and the WPI women's basketball student-athletes towards the continued success of this program."

A standout athlete in college, Baker enjoyed tremendous success on both the hardwood and on the field hockey turf. After playing her first two years at Babson and she transferred to Trinity (CT) at the start of her junior year.

Baker enjoyed a highly successful basketball career notching 913 points over her four years at Babson and Trinity. She holds the Bantam school record for career free-throw percentage, after she connected for an impressive 80% clip from the charity stripe.

As a field hockey player, Baker made an immediate impact as the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year in 2001 while being selected to the first team all-conference squad. Baker netted a career-high 16 goals while tallying 40 points in her sophomore season en route to being named to the all-conference team and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region squad.

After making an effective transition at Trinity, she was named All-NESCAC and NFHCA All-Region in 2004, finishing second in the conference with 13 goals. She finished her outstanding career with 43 goals and 100 points. 

In the spring of 2005, Baker was honored as Trinity's Susan E. Martin Award as the college's top senior female scholar athlete.

Baker enjoyed an outstanding scholastic career at Pomperaug High School in Southbury, CT.  She was the first female to reach the 1,000 point milestone (1,282), while being named a three-time All-State player and a two-time CT Super 15 team pick.  Baker guided her team to the Division title her senior year.

While coaching at Connecticut College, Baker attained her Masters in Psychology. At Trinity she graduated with her degree in Educational Studies.