WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - After a distinguished career in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Leroy Baer began a return to the sport that he loved from his youth - tennis. Now Baer will embark on a new challenge in this second career, as he was named the head coach of Lycoming College’s men’s and women’s tennis programs, Director of Athletics Scott Kennell announced on Friday.
Baer takes over a split program from the women’s tennis coach Deb Holmes, who retired this spring after 35 seasons with the program, in the spring, and men’s tennis coach John Dorner, who led the Warriors to the team’s first Commonwealth Conference title in school history in 2010.
“When the opportunity arose to take over the tennis programs, I thought it was time to take advantage of a promotional opportunity and continue to grow my coaching career,” Baer said.
Since his retirement from the Department of Corrections in 2004, Baer has gotten back involved in tennis, serving as the head coach of Williamsport Area High School’s boys’ tennis team and working with the Millionaires’ girls’ team for the past six years. He has also served as an assistant tennis pro at the West Branch Tennis Club for the past six years.
Taking over the Millionaires’ boys’ team in 2006, he led the squad to two District 2-4 Class AAA titles in 2007 and 2009. In 2010, he helped the Millionaires to a Pennsylvania Heartland Athletic Conference title, leading the team to a perfect 11-0 record before the team reached the district finals.
“We are glad to get someone of Leroy’s character to lead both the men’s and women’s programs in this exciting new era in Lycoming tennis,” Kennell said. “His varied career and life experience will bring a refreshing dynamic to our whole athletic program. He has also proven himself a success in the local tennis scene, not only through his work as an instructor, but also through his very successful tenure at Williamsport Area High School.”
While at Williamsport, Baer mentored two current Warriors, senior Alex Beattie and senior Phillip Shannon.
“(Alex and Phillip) are ecstatic,” Baer said. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with these guys. They are both excellent kids.
“I’m also looking forward to the challenge and introducing my style of coaching to the women’s team,” he added. “I’m going to try to grow the program through both recruiting and developing the talent of the players currently there.”
Baer took a long road back to tennis after lettering in the sport at Williamsport Area High School before graduating in 1970. After a three-year tour in the Air Force in which he was trained in cartography, he worked for two years with PPL Electric and for two more with Interstate Trucking before enrolling in the former Williamsport Community College. He left school to work for three years as a draftsman for the Lycoming City Planning Commission.
During his career in the Air Force, Baer stayed active in tennis, playing on the U.S. Air Force Team at the Langley Air Force Base and when he returned to Williamsport after his tour, he ran tennis programs at the Bethune-Douglass Community Center.
After leaving the commission, he attended the VanDerMeer Tennis University in Columbia, Md., graduating in 1979, and finished his education at WCC. After two years as a salesperson with Levy Advertising, Baer began a 20-year career with the Department of Corrections, working his way from a corrections officer to his retirement post of deputy superintendent for facilities management. Along the way, he earned several distinctions in his career, including a 1988 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and a 2000 DOC Outstanding Performance Award.
While with the DOC, Baer also took part in several training sessions and symposiums, including the National Black Family Summit and Empowering Our Future.
Still quite active in the community, Baer is a staff writer for the Webb Weekly Newspaper and he is also a flow team leader at Target in Muncy, Pa.