Is this Polk’s final goodbye?
BY GREGG ELLIS
Daily Journal
STARKVILLE – Can Ron Polk really walk away from college baseball?
He says the timing is right.
But remember, the 29-year Mississippi State baseball coach has attempted retirement twice, only to be lured back into the game on each occasion.
“It’s a young man’s game now,” he said with a laugh. “It’s time for me to move on. It will be good for Mississippi State, and it will be good for me.”
Polk has been a head coach for 34 years. It’s a run, Georgia coach and former Polk pupil Dave Perno said, you won’t likely see again.
For starters, he pointed out, with higher salaries comes more pressure. And with a “win-now” attitude from alumni and major donors, administrators are far more quick to fire a coach than ever before.
“I don’t see doing this for 34 years,” Perno laugh. “Look at football and basketball. It’s not nearly as common today as it was years ago to have a coach stay at one place for so long. I really see the same happening for baseball coaches.”
Polk said he won’t be far removed from the game.
djournal.com
5/11/08
Magnolia Tribune
