Bob Polk

James Robert Polk (February 28, 1915 – March 18, 1986) was an American basketball coach. Polk coached the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Trinity Tigers,[1] the Saint Louis Billikens[2] and Rice University.[3] He began his college coaching career as an assistant coach a Georgia Tech during World War II. His first coaching job was at his high school alma mater Tell City High, in Tell City, Indiana.

Bob Polk
Polk from the 1970 Archive
Biographical details
Born(1915-02-28)February 28, 1915
Tell City, Indiana, U.S.
DiedMarch 18, 1986(1986-03-18) (aged 70)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Playing career
1936–1939Evansville
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1939–1943Tell City HS (assistant)
1943–1947Georgia Tech (assistant)
1947–1961Vanderbilt
1965–1969Trinity (TX)
1969–1974Saint Louis
1974–1977Rice
Head coaching record
Overall355–190
Tournaments0–1 (NCAA Division I)
3–1 (NCAA Division II)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
SEC tournament (1951)
2 Southland regular season (1967, 1969)
MVC regular season (1971)
Awards
NCAA College Division Coach of the Year (1968)
2× Southland Coach of the Year (1967, 1969)
MVC Coach of the Year (1971)

Early life

Polk was born in Tell City, Indiana and began to play basketball in the 4th grade. After high school, Polk attended the Evansville College from 1936 to 1939. He worked part-time at several jobs, including sweeping out the College President's office, running a movie projector, bank teller and working in a tomato canning factory.[4] to help pay his college expenses. He was a guard on the basketball team under long-time Purple Aces' coach Bill Slyker from 1935-36 to 1938–39.

In Polk's sophomore season (1935–36), Evansille finished 11–7. This would mark the best season for the Purple Aces during Polk's college playing career.

High school coaching

Polk began his career in coaching by accepting a teaching and coaching job at his alma mater Tell City High School, Tell City, Indiana. Polk had graduated only 8 years earlier (1931) after leading the Marksmen to their fifth IHSAA Sectional title.[5] Polk assisted Ivan Hollen, who also began that season, replacing future Purdue Boilermakers' Head Coach Ray Eddy.

College coaching

After a four-year tenure, Polk joined the U.S. Navy, he was assigned as a physical education instructor at Georgia Tech in the Navy's V-12 Program, he also assisted Georgia Tech head coach Dwayne Keith during the 1943–44 and 1944-45 seasons. After the war, Georgia Tech hired him as their assistant basketball coach.

In 1943, he enlisted in the US Navy and was assigned as a physical education instructor at Georgia Institute of Technology, he spent the 1943–44 and 1944-45 seasons as a Georgia Tech assistant to Dwayne Keith in addition to his US Navy duties, after the war ended he was hired in the same capacity by Georgia Tech.

In February 1947, Vanderbilt was pummeled by the Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC Tournament 98-29, the Commodores Athletic Director (and football coach) Red Sanders decided to upgrade the basketball program by hiring a full-time coach and offering scholarships. His search led him to Bob Polk (another candidate who was interviewed for the job was the future legend, John Wooden, who had led his Indiana State Sycamores to a conference title and an invitation from the NAIA.

Vanderbilt

Polk coached the Vanderbilt Commodores from 1947 to 1961. There, he won the 1951–52 SEC Tournament. Polk's Vanderbilt teams recorded one losing season in 13 seasons and finished 2nd in the SEC on four occasions. His 1954-55, 1955–56 and 1956–57 squads all finished the season in the Top 20 Associated Press poll.[6]

In his 13 seasons as Vanderbilt coach, Polk mined the rich Southwestern Indiana talent fields to build a consistent winner; players such as SEC First Team members Dave Kardokus (1951) and SEC Second team members Billy Joe Adcock (1948–50), Al Weiss (1951), Bob Dudley Smith (1951) and Dave Kardokus. Heart problems forced Polk to resign after the 1960-61 season. When he left, Polk was the leader in wins for the Commodores (197-106 .650) and had won the 1951 SEC Tourney.

Six of his players were drafted by NBA teams;

  • Bill Depp – 1961 3rd round Boston
  • Jim Henry – 1959 6th round Minneapolis
  • Al Rochelle – 1957 5th round St. Louis
  • Dan Finch – 1954 Minneapolis
  • George Kelley – 1951 Indianapolis
  • Billy Joe Adcock – 1950 Fort Wayne

[7]

Trinity

Polk recovered quickly from his heart attack and accepted the head coaching and athletic director position at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Polk quickly turned the Tigers into a power, leading them from the depths of the Southland Conference to the title in four seasons; he was named the Southland Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1967 following a record of 16-6. His 1967-68 team was even better, the Tigers racked up a record of 23-7 and advanced to the NCAA College Division tournament, where the Tigers finished 3rd overall. He was also the NCAA National Coach-of-the-Year for the College Division (today's NCAA Div II) in 1968. In his four years at Trinity, Polk compiled a 70-28 record, a Southland title and a National 3rd-place finish. He was chiefly responsible for the Tigers moving to NCAA Division I classification, however, today they are an NCAA Div III school.

Saint Louis

Following his successful tenure at Trinity, Polk accepted the head coaching job at Saint Louis University; he was the 16th head coach in Billikens history and quickly turned around the program.[8] In his 2nd season, he led them to a share of the Missouri Valley Conference championship and was named the Conference's Coach of the Year.[9] While at St Louis, he sent two players to the NBA; Harry “Tree” Rogers and Robin Jones.[10]

Rice

In a return to bigger conference, he accepted the head coaching position at Rice after five seasons at Saint Louis. However, he was unable to duplicate the earlier success he enjoyed at Vanderbilt. Polk served as the President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches during the 1974–75 season.

UAB

In April 1977, Polk resigned from Rice and accepted a position as the assistant athletic director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He retired from that position in 1977. He hired Gene Bartow to build the men's basketball program.

Death

Polk died of heart disease at age 71 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on March 18, 1986. He is buried in Tell City, Indiana. He was memorialized by his induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Vanderbilt Commodores (Southeastern Conference) (1947–1961)
1947–48 Vanderbilt 8–144–1112th
1948–49 Vanderbilt 14–89–54th
1949–50 Vanderbilt 17–811–32nd
1950–51 Vanderbilt 19–810–4T–2nd
1951–52 Vanderbilt 18–99–5T–2nd
1952–53 Vanderbilt 10–95–8T–7th
1953–54 Vanderbilt 12–105–9T–8th
1954–55 Vanderbilt 16–69–5T–3rd
1955–56 Vanderbilt 16–45–23rd
1956–57 Vanderbilt 17–510–4T–2nd
1957–58 Vanderbilt 14–117–77th
1959–60 Vanderbilt 14–98–6T–5th
1960–61 Vanderbilt 19–57–7T–6th
Vanderbilt: 197–106 (.650)105–77 (.577)
Trinity Tigers (Southland Conference) (1965–1969)
1965–66 Trinity (TX) 12–103–54th
1966–67 Trinity (TX) 16–64–4T–1st
1967–68 Trinity (TX) 23–75–32ndNCAA College Division Final Four
1968–69 Trinity (TX) 19–57–11stNCAA Regional Quarterfinals
Trinity (TX): 70–28 (.714)19–13 (.594)
Saint Louis Billikens (Missouri Valley Conference) (1969–1974)
1969–70 Saint Louis 9–175–117th
1970–71 Saint Louis 17–129–5T–1st
1971–72 Saint Louis 18–89–53rd
1972–73 Saint Louis 19–710–43rd
1973–74 Saint Louis 9–164–8T–7th
Saint Louis: 72–60 (.545)37–33 (.529)
Rice Owls (Southwest Conference) (1974–1977)
1974–75 Rice 5–212–128th
1975–76 Rice 3–241–159th
1976–77 Rice 9–183–138th
Rice: 17–63 (.213)6–40 (.130)
Total:356–257 (.581)

      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

[11]

References
  1. "Trinity (TX) Tigers Index | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  2. "Saint Louis Billikens Coaches | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  3. "Rice Owls Coaches | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  4. "View Image". Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  5. "Tell City tourney history". Archived from the original on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  6. "Vanderbilt Commodores Index | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  7. "NBA Draft Picks From Vanderbilt University | Basketball-Reference.com". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  8. "View Image".
  9. "View Image". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
  10. "NBA Draft Picks From Saint Louis University | Basketball-Reference.com". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  11. "Explosion: 1951 Scandals Threaten College Hoops".
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