After 29 non-consecutive seasons as head coach of the Mississippi State baseball team, Ron Polk is throwing in the towel.According to a release issued by athletic media relations Thursday evening, Polk, 64, will resign effective at the end of the current season.
One of the most prominent baseball coaches in the NCAA, Polk has garnered much acclaim, including being ranked among the top 10 winningest coaches in the country, No.5 in NCAA victories and No. 1 in SEC history. This season marks his 35th as a collegiate head coach and his 40th in all levels of coaching college baseball. He has won 1,360 games as a college head coach, according to the release.
Polk cited in his resignation letter to newly appointed athletic director Greg Byrne and outgoing AD Larry Templeton that recent NCAA sanctions were the primary reason for his resignation.
NCAA sanctions limiting college baseball rosters will go into effect at the end of the season. Rosters will be limited to 27 scholarship athletes with another eight walk-on players allowed. The current MSU baseball roster currently holds 41 players.
“I was not about to wind down my 40-year baseball career in college baseball being cruel to student-athletes,” Polk said in the letter. “Ever since we lost the votes at the NCAA convention, I knew my time at Mississippi State was quickly coming to an end, but I did not want to do anything without making every effort to protect our assistant coaches.”
Templeton said the move is not surprising.
“His decision does not come as a surprise because we had a conversation about this timeline even before this season started,” Templeton said in the release. “With Ron making his decision public at this time, it will allow our institution to properly put together a process for the selection of our next head baseball coach.”
Polk made clear his endorsement of current assistant coach Tommy Raffo as his replacement.
“Tommy has been a player and coach here for 19 years, and he is ready and able to take over this baseball program,” Polk wrote in the letter. “In addition, it would give me great peace of mind knowing that he would retain our present assistant coaches on his staff. I firmly believe the eventual hiring of Tommy Raffo will be a win-win situation for all concerned.”
The Boston, Mass., native’s distinctive career also includes taking 23 of his previous 34 teams to NCAA regional play, including the last five, and eight of his teams to the College World Series, six at State.
Polk was twice named National Coach of the Year, in 1973 and 1985, and was elected to the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1985. He’s been inducted to the state of Mississippi and the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame and the Georgia Southern University Hall of Fame. He also received the ABCA’s Lefty Gomez Award.
Initial reaction to the news in online MSU sports-related forums was mixed Thursday. Some posters expressed disbelief, others dismay. Others expressed support of the decision.
Templeton said Polk contributed greatly to MSU athletics.
“It goes without saying that we are most appreciative of the outstanding job Ron Polk has done for Mississippi State baseball,” he said.
Sports editor Melissa Meador also contributed to this article.
A complete story about Polk’s resignation will be available in Tuesday’s edition of The Reflector.