A Legacy that Doesn’t Graduate

The Coach Ken Baker Memorial Scholarship

For nearly 40 years, Ken Baker stood on the sidelines and in the classrooms of East Greenbush, Hoosick Falls, and Cambridge, shaping generations of young men and women as a teacher, coach, and athletic director. A Section 2 Hall of Fame coach in both football and wrestling, he was known as highly dedicated and fiercely competitive, the kind of coach who pushed his athletes to be their best on and off the field. 

Since his passing in 2008, a committee of dedicated volunteers has worked to keep his legacy alive through the Coach Ken Baker Memorial Scholarship Fund, awarding scholarships each year to graduating seniors from Hoosick Falls and Cambridge high schools who reflect the values Coach Baker spent his career instilling.

The selection process is as thorough as the coach himself would have demanded. Each year, finalists are invited to sit for a personal interview, giving the committee a chance to look beyond the resume and identify the leadership qualities and integrity Coach Baker valued most. Fittingly, many recipients go on to continue volunteering in their communities long after graduation, a living extension of the example he set.

In 2026, the fund was awarded over $100,000 in scholarships for graduating seniors from Hoosick Falls and Cambridge high schools over the life of the fund. 

“Guided by integrity, driven by passion, and committed to excellence, that mission captures exactly who Coach Baker was, and what the scholarship hopes to recognize in each new generation of recipients it supports.” – Chris Crucetti, Chair of Coach Ken Baker Scholarship Committee.