McMahon/Polk
- Thread starter MSU124
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Polk was burned out on coaching by the early 90s (and really has been ever since). He even announced his retirement during the season in 93, then changed his mind a few weeks later. The program deteriorated, so we brought McMahon back in about 96 (he'd been head coach at Old Dominion and had done well) and named him coach in waiting and by 98 we went back to the CWS. Then Polk retired. McMahon was consistently good (never did worse than a regional final), but he wasn't Polk so people bitched. Also, after 2 years out of coaching, Polk decided he missed it and took the UGA job. Finally,McMahon had enough and took a large raise to go to Florida and we rehired Polk. I'm pretty confident he was the only person on our list, even though Manieri from Notre Dame would have taken the job if we'd been smart enough to offer it to him.
Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Polk choose Georgia in part because he had always been bitching about the scholarship limits and fighting with the NCAA, and Georgia had a state system (similar to Nebraska) where they could get in-state players grant money and not take up baseball schollys?
That may be changed now or maybe it was never correct, but I thought that was the deal..
That may be changed now or maybe it was never correct, but I thought that was the deal..
in 1994.
But very good synopsis.
I remember when Polk first announced his retirement in 1991, I had wondered why MSU didn't just let him go. There were rumors around that time that Polk was going to take over at Miami for Ron Fraser.
But very good synopsis.
I remember when Polk first announced his retirement in 1991, I had wondered why MSU didn't just let him go. There were rumors around that time that Polk was going to take over at Miami for Ron Fraser.
But I think every coach comes to a point where they feel like they have done all that they can or want a different challenge. Really, that probably applies to most people in terms of life in general.
If a coach says that he wants to leave MSU, it's probably in our best interests to let that coach leave because if we somehow manage to keep him, I doubt he will put 100% into the job. And that's what happened to Polk.
I do think that when Polk came back in 2000 that he came back to retire, and I don't think that there's any question that he had seen better days when we got him back. Other than miraculously defying logic and winning the 2005 SEC Tournament and going to the CWS in 2007, we had seasons that were below par for the most part and gradually declined.
Also, the fact that Polk refused to adjust to current recruiting trends in college baseball and the fact that he made poor assistant coaching decisions such as hiring Russ McNickle while he was with us, I think Pat is accurate when he says that he was washed up when he came back to us.
If a coach says that he wants to leave MSU, it's probably in our best interests to let that coach leave because if we somehow manage to keep him, I doubt he will put 100% into the job. And that's what happened to Polk.
I do think that when Polk came back in 2000 that he came back to retire, and I don't think that there's any question that he had seen better days when we got him back. Other than miraculously defying logic and winning the 2005 SEC Tournament and going to the CWS in 2007, we had seasons that were below par for the most part and gradually declined.
Also, the fact that Polk refused to adjust to current recruiting trends in college baseball and the fact that he made poor assistant coaching decisions such as hiring Russ McNickle while he was with us, I think Pat is accurate when he says that he was washed up when he came back to us.
Polk had interest more important than MSU baseball. Part of the reason for his first retirement. He knew that MSU was secondary to the NCAA fight and did the right thing. Some misguided fools (bus driver being one) talked Polk into coming back. He was never the same and thus cheated MSU baseball and its fans.
For putting MSU secondary to his obsession I can never forgive Polk. MSU was in his last years a means to an end (NCAA BS). That simply was/is not acceptable.
For putting MSU secondary to his obsession I can never forgive Polk. MSU was in his last years a means to an end (NCAA BS). That simply was/is not acceptable.