Nike Soccer Camp in Glassboro

Baker, who played for Rowan’s 1990 national champion team, has also guided the Profs to three New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship game appearances in the last four years, as well as a 25-8-3 record in conference play.

His 2019 team reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship before falling to top-ranked and eventual national runner-up Amherst, to mark the furthest advancement for Rowan in the NCAA Championship since 2001. The Profs, who reached the NJAC Final, closed out the year ranked 15th in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.

This past season capped a four-year run which saw the Profs go 58-20-6 with three appearances in both the NCAA Tournament and the NJAC Final.

In 2018, Rowan went 12-7 and was the conference semifinalist while 2017 saw the Profs reach the NCAA Tournament and the NJAC final. That team went 17-4-1 and earned its third straight NCAA berth, which included the hosting of the first and second rounds for the second year in a row. Baker was named the NJAC Coach of the Year while standout Shane Doherty was named to the All-America second team by the United Soccer Coaches.

Baker’s 2016 team compiled a 17-3-1 record, reached the NJAC championship game and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while hosting both postseason games. The Profs also led all divisions in the NCAA country in offense. Doherty and Will Sjaastad were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America Team with Sjaastad earning NJAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Named only the third coach in Rowan soccer history in 2014, Baker’s first team went 10-9, but he quickly got the Profs into the NCAA Tournament, as the 2015 team earned an at-large berth for Rowan’s first appearance since 2003.

Baker is very active in youth soccer and is the co-director and co-owner of RUSA FC Soccer Academy, which trains and plays its games at Rowan’s West Campus. A member of the New Jersey Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Committee, he was the director of club development for the Futbol Club Copa Academy and director of training for the Team Boca Soccer Club from 2003 to 2012. He served as the associate head coach/director of training for the club’s professional team, the Boca Blast, in 2012.

Baker’s collegiate coaching experience is extensive has he has headed the programs at Defiance College, Flagler College, Brookdale Community College and New Jersey City University. Baker led Brookdale to a conference championship, regional championship and the national final. While at Flagler he guided the men’s and women’s programs to spots in the national Top 25 and the women’s team recorded its best season in the team’s history.

His career has also included stops at numerous high schools, among them Pope John Paul II High School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Florida and locally, Delsea Regional. At Stoneman Douglas, Baker led his team to a state championship and was voted Coach of the Year for all sports in Miami-Dade County by the Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald.

Baker was a four-year starter at Rowan from 1990 to 1993 and played in all 90 matches of his career, totaling 46 points with 13 goals and 20 assists. He earned NJAC All-Conference first-team honors in 1990 and was selected to the second team the following year. He captained the 1992 team and led them to the NJAC Championship and the nation’s number-one ranking. Baker and the Profs reached the pinnacle in 1990 as they captured the NCAA Division III Championship, becoming the second Rowan men’s soccer team to do so. That squad was inducted into the Rowan University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

He graduated from Rowan in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Phoenix. The native of Jackson, NJ, holds an NSCAA national license as well as a United States Soccer Federation license.

Baker and his wife, Krista, who is registered dietician and Penn State graduate, live in Glassboro. The couple has two daughters, Emily and Katie, who are current Rowan students.

Coach Abbey has previously served as Director of Coaching at Pittsgrove SC and as FC Copa Academy. He has served as a men's assistant coach at Rowan University for the past 9 years, helping to return the program to national prominence.

Coach Abbey grew up playing youth soccer in southern New Jersey. At the age of 14 he was offered the opportunity to play in Europe where he gathered experience playing with Danish club Holbaek B&I. Upon returning to the United States, he attended St. Augustine Prep. Coach Abbey was a four year starter at the Prep and a two year captain. He was named All South Jersey and All State his junior and senior seasons and was selected as one of the top 18 players in the state his senior year. He finished his high school career with 99 goals and 129 assists. Posting an incredible senior season of 41 goals and 49 assists.

He attended Rowan University where he was a four year starter. Coach Abbey was selected to all conference and all region honors and was a member of the only undefeated regular season in Rowan Men's Soccer history in 1995 on the team that finished 16-0-3. He finished his collegiate career as Rowan University's all time assist leader and the third leading scorer in the school's rich soccer history.
After college, Justin was drafted into the MISL and played professionally.

In 2019 Coach Abbey was honored by being selected into the South Jersey Hall Of Fame for his outstanding playing career. In 2022 He is being inducted into the St. Augustin Athletic Hall of Fame for his high school playing career.

Coach Abbey and his wife, Karin, have three beautiful children Ian, Mia and Trey.