Baker posted a 42-34 record with the Middies. They were 19-7 and Greater Miami Conference co-champions his first year, 12-13 and fourth-place finishers his second year, and 11-14 and seventh-place finishers in 2015-16.
Baker was an All-American at Dunbar High School and starred at Ohio State. He was the head coach at Trotwood-Madison for three seasons.
From the time Baker stepped down, the thinking was Kerr would be tabbed to take over the program.
Not only is Kerr a former Middie (a 1990 graduate), but he coached under incoming Middletown athletic director Aaron Zupka at Clark Montessori.
“Obviously it would be a huge honor to be the head coach at Middletown. I think it would be for anybody,” Kerr said at the time Baker stepped down. “I was a finalist the last time, so I know why people would assume, and you put the Aaron Zupka connection in there and people start to connect dots that may or may not be there.
“There’s a lot of other factors that go into taking a job at a place like Middletown. It would be awesome to coach at my alma mater. It would be even more awesome for me because it’s the last year of Wade E. Miller Gym, which to me would be a cooler thing than coaching in the brand-new arena they’re going to open.”
For the past two seasons, Kerr was the head coach at Purcell Marian, posting a 40-12 mark and winning a pair of district titles. Kerr’s first job came at Mariemont where he was 28-35 before spending six years at Clark, going 96-42.
“We are very fortunate to have an elite coach like Scott at Middletown,” Zupka stated in a press release. “I am very excited to have the opportunity to bring Scott back home to his Middie family and we are looking forward to continuing the great tradition of the Middletown basketball program. Scott brings passion and enthusiasm on and off the court like very few in the business.”
Kerr is entering his 21st year in education and will teach social studies at Middletown.
Calls and texts to Kerr, Zupka and exiting athletic director Gary Lebo were not returned.
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