Ron Polk

Ron Polk
Polk coaching at Baum Stadium in 2007
Sport(s) Baseball
Current position
Title Volunteer assistant
Team UAB
Conference C-USA
Biographical details
Born (1944-01-12) January 12, 1944
Boston, Massachusetts
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1966 Arizona (Grad. Asst.)
1967 New Mexico (Grad. Asst.)
1968–1971 Miami Dade College (Asst.)
1972–1975 Georgia Southern
1976–1997 Mississippi State
2000–2001 Georgia
2002–2008 Mississippi State
2009–present UAB (Volunteer asst.)
Head coaching record
Overall 1,373–702–2
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • 5x SEC regular-season champion (1979, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2001)
  • 5x SEC tournament champion (1979, 1985, 1987, 1990, 2005)
Awards
  • 2x National Coach of the Year (1973, 1985)
  • 4X SEC Coach of the Year (1979, 1985, 1989, 2001)
College Baseball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2009

Ronald George Polk (born January 12, 1944) is an American professional coach in NCAA Division I college baseball. He was a long-time head baseball coach at Mississippi State and is considered, by some, to be the "Father of Southeastern Conference Baseball."[1][2] Polk compiled one of the most successful winning records, as a coach, in both MSU and Southeastern Conference history. In 31 seasons as an SEC coach he compiled a 1218-638-2 (.656) record. His career record stands at 1373-702-2. He currently ranks 9th on the all-time wins list nationally for 10+ year Division I coaches.[3] His teams won five SEC championships and five SEC tournament championships. His teams participated in the NCAA tournament twenty-three times, and reached the College World Series eight times.[4]

There were 185 players who played under him as a Head Coach, who signed professional baseball contracts, and 23 of these players played in the major leagues. He coached 35 All-Americans and 76 All-Southeastern Conference players. During his tenure at Mississippi State, Polk had eight players drafted in the first round of the professional baseball draft. He is one of only three coaches in college baseball history to coach at three different schools that have played in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.[5] Georgia Southern University – 1973; Mississippi State University – 1979, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1997, 2007; University of Georgia – 2001. He coached teams that played in Omaha over a period of five decades (nine appearances) including as an assistant coach at the University of Arizona in 1966.[6]

Polk played two seasons at Grand Canyon University from 1964-65. "I cherish my years at Grand Canyon University as a student and a baseball player. It allowed me the opportunity to receive a quality degree and be exposed to people who cared about me as a student and as an athlete. The rich tradition of Grand Canyon baseball will continue under the able leadership of Gil Stafford."[7]

Polk is a member of the following Six Halls of Fame; Georgia Southern University Hall of fame (1990). American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1995). State of Mississippi Athletic Hall of Fame (1998). Mississippi State University Athletic Hall of Fame (1998). National College Baseball Hall of Fame (2009). Phoenix, Arizona High School District Hall of Fame (2017). He is a Former President of the American Baseball Coaches Association (1985). Winner of the Lefty Gomez Award which is the highest award given by the American Baseball Coaches Association (1988). Received the highest award given out by the state of Mississippi Athletic Hall of Fame- The "Rube" Award (2017). Mississippi State University named the baseball stadium The Polk-Dement Stadium (1997). Coach Polk has also completed seven tours on the U.S.A. National baseball team coaching staff serving as the head coach two times and as an assistant five times. He has coached in the Olympic Games two times once Seoul, South Korea in 1988 when the team won the gold medal and the other in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 when the team won the Bronze medal.[6] Polk authored The Baseball Playbook, the leading textbook for baseball in college, and coauthored The Baseball-Softball Playbook with Donna Lopiano.[8][9][10]

From 1972 to 1975, he served as the head coach at Georgia Southern. From 2000 to 2001, he coached at Georgia. He has also served as an assistant coach at Arizona, and New Mexico.[6]

In July 2008, Polk was announced as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers baseball squad. The Blazers are coached by Polk's former MSU assistant Brian Shoop.[11]

Polk in 2009 and his former Mississippi State players, Rafael Palmeiro in 2009 and Will Clark in 2006, were inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.[12][13] In 2018 he was named as a Legend in the Southeastern Conference.

Coach Polk has been coaching in the Cape Cod summer league as an assistant coach with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks baseball team.[14]

Head coaching record

[15][16][17]

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Georgia Southern Eagles () (1972–1975)
1972 Georgia Southern 31–19
1973 Georgia Southern 43–12College World Series
1974 Georgia Southern 47–14NCAA Regional
1975 Georgia Southern 34–19
Georgia Southern: 155–64 (.708)
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (1975–1997)
1976 Mississippi State 28–1711–12
1977 Mississippi State 33–1511–9
1978 Mississippi State 38–1813–8NCAA Regional
1979 Mississippi State 48–1217–21stCollege World Series
1980 Mississippi State 31–1910–11
1981 Mississippi State 46–1717–6College World Series
1982 Mississippi State 28–2311–13
1983 Mississippi State 42–1517–5NCAA Regional
1984 Mississippi State 45–1618–5NCAA Regional
1985 Mississippi State 50–1516–81stCollege World Series
1986 Mississippi State 34–2112–15
1987 Mississippi State 39–2213–131stNCAA Regional
1988 Mississippi State 44–2017–10NCAA Regional
1989 Mississippi State 54–1420–51stNCAA Regional
1990 Mississippi State 50–2117–9College World Series
1991 Mississippi State 42–2112–9NCAA Regional
1992 Mississippi State 40–2215–9NCAA Regional
1993 Mississippi State 41–2117–12NCAA Regional
1994 Mississippi State 36–2315–12
1995 Mississippi State 34–2511–16
1996 Mississippi State 38–2417–13NCAA Regional
1997 Mississippi State 47–2119–11College World Series
Georgia Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (2000–2001)
2000 Georgia 32–2614–15
2001 Georgia 47–2220–101stCollege World Series
Georgia: 79–48 (.622)34–25 (.576)
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (2002–2008)
2002 Mississippi State 34–24–114–15
2003 Mississippi State 42–20–117–12NCAA Regional
2004 Mississippi State 35–2413–17NCAA Regional
2005 Mississippi State 42–2213–16NCAA Regional
2006 Mississippi State 37–2312–17NCAA Regional
2007 Mississippi State 38–2215–13College World Series
2008 Mississippi State 23–339–21
Mississippi State: 1139–590 (.659)419–324 (.564)
Total:1373–702–2 (.662)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Coaching tree

Former players and assistant coaches who went on to be college head coaches and MLB team managers include Jim Case, John Cohen, Pete Dunn, Mark Johnson, Pat McMahon, David Perno, Daron Schoenrock, Brian Shoop, Buck Showalter, and Steve Smith.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ ""Father of SEC Baseball" Joins Gatemen". Wareham Gatemen Baseball, Inc. 15 April 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "SEC Baseball Legend Ron Polk to visit Millington Baseball Feb. 23". Millington Star. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "BaseBall coaching Records" (PDF). NCAA. 12 January 2016. p. 5. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "2016 SEC Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). Southeastern Conference. 19 February 2016. p. 58,74. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "Bunt Defense – Ron Polk [ARTICLE]". Clell Wade – Coaches Directory Inc. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "THE COACHING STAFF" (PDF). Mississippi State Athletics. 25 May 2016. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  7. ↑ 1993 Grand Canyon Baseball Media Guide
  8. ↑ "Baseball Playbook". Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  9. ↑ "Ron Polk Bio". UAB Athletics. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Baseball-Softball Playbook". Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Ron Polk joins UAB as volunteer baseball coach". Alabama Media Group. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "2009 College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees". Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "2006 College Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees". Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "TAKING THE LEAD". The Oxford Eagle. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  15. ↑ "2016 Georgia Southern 2016 Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). Georgia Southern Athletic Department. 24 February 2016. p. 92. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  16. ↑ "2016 Mississippi State Baseball Media Guide" (PDF). Mississippi State University Athletics. 1 February 2016. p. 89. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "2016 Georgia Baseball Media Guide". Georgia Athletics. p. 83. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "COACHES & STAFF" (PDF). Mississippi State University. 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
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