Knox College is pleased to announce Akyia Baker as the new women's flag football coach. Prairie Fire Women's Flag Football makes its debut next year, competing as a club sport in the spring of 2027, with plans to transition to varsity status for the 2027–28 academic year.

"The chance to be a part of a sport that is growing so fast right now was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up," Baker said. "I wanted a role where I could step up, lead, and build a program from the ground up here at Knox."

Baker brings experience coaching flag football at the collegiate level, serving as assistant coach and program coordinator at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, Indiana, since January of 2025. She has also worked as the athletics operations assistant at Purdue University Northwest since August 2025. At Purdue Northwest, Baker helped lead the Pride to a 9-3 overall record in their first season, highlighting her impact on the program's rapid success.

"Coach Ky immediately stood out for her energy and passion, not only for the game of flag football, but for competition," Knox College Director of Athletics Justin Newell said. "It was clear she wants to be more than a coach; she wants to be an active, engaged member of the Knox community. I'm so excited for her to lead our new program!"

Flag football has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels, so when it came to finding the first-ever flag football coach in program history, Knox found the perfect leader. 

"We're going to build a highly competitive environment, but it's also going to be an open and welcoming culture for everyone involved, from players to fans," Baker said. "You can expect a program where people are excited to show up every day, work hard, and honestly, just have a lot of fun doing it."

If you are a prospective student-athlete interested in joining Knox Women's Flag Football, we encourage you to complete our interest questionnaire.