125-60: Former Cincinnati Basketball Coach Tay Baker Dies

Cincinnati Athletics mourns the passing of Taylor “Tay” Baker, a former men’s basketball head coach, student-athlete, and 1996 James P. Kelly Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame inductee who died on Tuesday surrounded by his family, according to gobearcats.com.

A Legacy Forged Across Decades of Bearcats Basketball

Baker anchored the court as a sixth man on the 1948, 1949, and 1950 basketball teams that compiled a 60-18 record and secured three Mid-American Conference titles. His tenure in Cincinnati later shifted to the sidelines in 1959 when he returned as an assistant coach. In that role, he helped guide Ed Jucker’s squad to four Final Fours and back-to-back NCAA championships in 1961 and 1962. Director of Athletics John Cunningham stated via gobearcats.com that Baker represented the very best of Cincinnati Athletics and left behind an incredible legacy.

Following Jucker’s departure, Baker stepped into the head coaching role in 1965. He led his inaugural team to a Missouri Valley Conference title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Across seven seasons at the helm of the Bearcats, Baker accumulated a 125-60 record. Decades later, Baker and his 1965-66 Bearcats’ team earned induction into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Baker Coached Xavier After Leaving Cincinnati

After concluding his tenure with Cincinnati, Baker crossed town to coach at Xavier. During his third year leading the program, he helped the team achieve its first winning season in 12 years. Cunningham noted via gobearcats.com that Baker’s pride in the university and the relationships he built never faded, extending across generations of players and teammates.

Cincinnati Athletics announced that memorial information will be provided when it becomes available.

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