RON POLK
When legendary college baseball coaches are discussed, the conversation will undoubtedly include the name Ron Polk. The Danville Dans are excited to have Coach Polk on their coaching staffing for the 2022 season. Polk has 52 years of experience coaching NCAA-D1 teams and has compiled one of the most successful winning records. His resume includes 1,373 wins, eight trips to the College World Series, six Hall of Fames inductions, and seven tours as a USA Baseball coach.
Polk’s connection to the Danville Dans goes back to the start of the current franchise. About 34 years ago, he first sent one of his staff to coach in Danville. He even traveled to Danville to be a guest speaker at a local sports banquet. “Our coaching staff and players will learn a lot from him.” said Rick Kurth, Danville Dans co-owner. “I believe his time here will lead to some pretty exciting games, too. After all, we’re all about player development and a fun time at the ballpark. It’s a genuine honor to have Ron Polk join the Danville Dans.” Coach Polk has coached at Georgia Southern University and University of Arizona but is most famous for his 29 years as head coach of the Mississippi State baseball team. With a total of 31 seasons as a head coach in the SEC, Polk is often referred to as the "Father of Southeastern Conference Baseball." He has coached summer baseball in the Cape Cod League for the last eight years, but wanted to get closer to home during the season. He offered to help out in Danville, and team management welcomed him with open arms.
Polk’s unmatched expertise will benefit the college athletes from across the country who come to Danville, IL to develop their baseball skills during the upcoming Prospect League season. "Anytime you get to work with a baseball legend like Coach Polk, it's an honor,” said Dans manager, Eric Coleman. “His knowledge of the game is second to none. We couldn't be more excited for our players and coaches to learn from him this summer." Polk’s coaching technics get results. Nearly 200 of the players he has coached have signed professional baseball contracts, with 29 of those athletes played in Major League Baseball. Eight of those major leaguers were first round draft picks. This success is why his textbook, The Baseball Playbook, is the chosen teaching tool at 450 colleges and has sold more than 125,000 copies.
