A Hall of Fame athlete and accomplished tennis coach from McMinnville High School, Lisa Macy-Baker is in her eighth year as head coach of the Linfield women's tennis program.
In recent seasons, she has guided Linfield to three consecutive Northwest Conference championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019, the program's first titles since 2008. In 2020, Linfield was off to a promising 6-2 start, including a win over 18th-ranked Trinity (Texas) before concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 virus caused cancelation of the remainder of the season.
Considered one of the top women’s programs in the NWC, the Wildcats have won nine NWC titles overall and secured five invitations to the NCAA Division III regional playoffs over the past 16 seasons.
Prior to joining Linfield, Macy-Baker coached girls tennis for four seasons at McMinnville High School, leading the Grizzlies to a 51-20 dual match record, a district and league tournament title, and a fifth-place finish at the Oregon Class 6A state championship tournament in 2010.
She also taught special education in the McMinnville School District, first at McMinnville High School and then as special education case manager at Duniway Middle School.
Macy-Baker served similar roles at Bend’s Mountain View High School while also leading the Bend Metro Parks and Recreation District’s youth tennis summer program.
Her coaching career began as junior varsity girls tennis coach at McMinnville High School in 2002.
A star athlete at McMinnville High in the early 1990s, Macy-Baker lettered four seasons in both basketball and tennis. A point guard on the basketball court, she was a four-time all-conference and three-time conference most valuable player for the Grizzlies, concluding her career as the school’s career leader in points, steals and assists. In tennis, she competed at the Oregon state tournament all four seasons, and was a two-time district doubles champion.
After receiving her diploma from MHS in 1994, Macy-Baker earned a full-ride scholarship to play basketball at Oregon State University. Though she competed with the Beavers for just one season, Macy-Baker went on to graduate with honors from OSU in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in general science. She later completed a master’s degree in special education at Portland State University in 2002.
Lisa and her husband, Ron, live in McMinnville with their two daughters, Cameron (8) and Eleanor (3).