Baldwin was born in Jacksonville, Florida and played for the Bishop Kenny High School under the coaching of his father, who played basketball for Notre Dame in the 1930s.[1] From Jacksonville Beach, he went to New Zealand in 1988 to coach the Otago Nuggets.[2][3]
He was promoted with them from the second division to the NBL and then joined the Auckland Stars in 1994.[4] In eight seasons with Auckland, he won five NBL titles (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2000), and was named NBL Coach of the Year four times (1995, 97, 99 and 2014).[citation needed]
He remains the most victorious coach in the history of the New Zealand NBL. Baldwin's involvement continued with the Stars as a co-owner for another eight years after he left as coach.[citation needed]
In 2001, he took the reins of the New Zealand national team. By winning the 2001 FIBA Oceania championship, the Tall Blacks — as New Zealand are known — qualified for the 2002 FIBA World Championship, and even reached the semi-finals; this is the best performance by an Oceania team in the history of the World Championships. Baldwin was appointed an Honorary Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2003 New Year Honours, for services to basketball.[5] For his achievements as coach of the New Zealand team, Baldwin was awarded the coach of the year at the Halberg awards — New Zealand's premier sports awards — for both 2001 and 2002.[6][7]
In 2023, Baldwin would be named into the New Zealand Basketball Hall of Fame.[8]
Baldwin as the Philippine national team coach in 2015
On 23 December 2014, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas formally announced the appointment of Baldwin as head coach of the Philippine men's national team (popularly known as Gilas Pilipinas), replacing Chot Reyes.[11] Baldwin's two-year tenure as coach officially began on 1 January 2015.[12]
On 7 December 2015, Ateneo de Manila University formally announced the hiring of Baldwin as the head coach of its collegiate men's varsity basketball team. He will be coaching the Blue Eagles in between the 2016 Olympics men's basketball qualifying tournament and the qualifying rounds for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, concentrating on the national team during the UAAP offseason.[13] A few days later, the Ateneo management reconsidered its decision to place Baldwin as the team's head coach following an objection by the Basketball Coaches of the Philippines, and instead was to be appointed as the collegiate team's consultant.[14] In 2016, Baldwin was officially named as the head coach and no longer just as a team consultant.[15]
On 18 October 2016, SBP executive director Sonny Barrios declared that Chot Reyes will return as head coach of Gilas while Baldwin will stay with the national team as the team's consultant, the same coaching setup the national team had during its historic 2013 FIBA Asia Championship and 2014 FIBA World Cup runs.[16]
In 2019, he coached the Blue Eagles to a 14–0 sweep of the elimination round of UAAP Season 82 basketball tournaments, with an average winning margin of 17.4 points per game.[18] On 20 November, Ateneo completed the season sweep and won their third consecutive title with Baldwin by defeating the UST Growling Tigers, 86–79.[19] In May of the same year, Baldwin was also appointed as programme director for the Philippine youth national team.[20] Under Baldwin, the Blue Eagles have won four championships in the UAAP.[21][22] In May 2023, he was recognised by the Collegiate Press Corps as the UAAP Coach of the Year for the 2019–20 and 2022–23 seasons.[23]
In June 2021, Baldwin returned to take over as head coach of the Philippines,[24] leading the Philippines to three wins out of three games in the final window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualification, completing a sweep for Gilas. However, weeks before the first window of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification, Baldwin stepped down from his post as Gilas coach, choosing to focus on Ateneo's campaign for the UAAP Season 84. He was replaced by Chot Reyes.[25]
Head of the Gilas Pilipinas Youth national basketball program
Personal life
Baldwin was previously married to Efthymia, originally from Greece. Efi is the owner-operator of a touring business, Definitely Greece, with tours of Greece and the Greek islands.[14] Baldwin is committed to reside in the Philippines at least until 2024.[26]
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