Former Bulldog baseball coach Polk back working in MSU athletic department

He's back.

Former Mississippi State head baseball coach Ron Polk, the longtime leader of the Bulldogs, is returning to the MSU athletic department. Mississippi State announced on Wednesday that Polk is coming back to the Bulldogs as a Special Assistant to the Athletic Director. Polk is expected to have multiple duties his new off-field role.

"Mississippi State is a special place, and this is home for me," Polk said in a school release. "After 54 years of coaching college baseball, including the last 12 as a volunteer assistant at UAB, this is a perfect time for me to give back to Mississippi State. I'm very appreciative to this great university and Director of Athletics John Cohen for allowing me to do this. From meeting with and being available to our coaches in different capacities, to development, alumni speaking events, serving on committees, or occasional radio and television broadcasts, I can't wait to promote and assist in any way I can to help the Bulldogs continue to be one of the best athletic programs in the country."

Polk was most recently a volunteer assistant coach at UAB, where he worked under fellow former MSU coach Brian Shoop. Shoop announced his retirement last week, freeing up Polk for a Starkville return.

Polk is of course synonymous with Mississippi State baseball where he was the head coach from 1975 through 1997, then again from 2002 through 2008. Polk was the head man for six of MSU's all-time College World Series appearances. He led the Bulldogs to 20 postseason appearances.

Polk's head coaching experience also extended beyond MSU. He served as the skipper at Georgia in 2000 and 2001, leading the Athens-based Bulldogs to the College World Series.

Before any of that, Polk's head coaching career actually began at Georgia Southern from 1972 through 1975. In what would become a theme for his career, Polk guided Georgia Southern to the College World Series in 1973.

Polk is best known though for his 29 total seasons in Mississippi State maroon and white. While his journey took him elsewhere, now, Polk is finally an MSU Bulldog once more.

"This is a great day for the Hail State Family to welcome Ron Polk back home," Cohen said. "His experience, institutional knowledge, passion for Mississippi State and the high level of respect he holds around college athletics will be a tremendous resource to our coaches, student-athletes and entire athletics program."