From the Resignation Letter...

[MSUCE99]

If I ever consider I am not up to the task of completing the season, I would take a leave of absence. As of right now, that is not in my plans as we start Southeastern Conference play.

Does anyone else wonder that if he feels like this "Appoint Your Successor" thing is getting away from him, Polk may walk away before the season is over so that Raffo could take over at least on an interim basis, to give him a "trial run" for the Athletic department?

After re-reading Polk's letter, and seeing how he spent 4 paragraphs telling his bosses how Raffo is the only choice, and then commenting about it again in Saturday's paper, I wonder if he might just call their hand and take his aforementioned leave of absence prior to the end of the season - effectively making Raffo the interim Head Coach.

Is this too ridiculous for M-State? Is anything too ridiculous for M-State? Huh? Oh...

 

[Mjoelner]

it wouldn't suprise me if he stepped down before the season was over or just before the search committe (if there is one) named someone else.

Hell, I don't know. Raffo might do an outstanding job but in my opinion, while our football program is apparantly a program you can cut your teeth on to get your first ever head coaching experience, I don't think our baseball program is. Yes, yes I know Stans got his first job here but our basketball program isn't the size of the football program and doesn't have the history of success our baseball program does.

 

[The Peeper]

and keeps throwing out his name in interviews, that maybe he is worried that there may be some reason(s) that Raffo WON"T get the job and he is trying to keep the name and idea in circulation..............

 

[Sarc Dawg]

What would handing the reigns to Raffo for the rest of the year prove? I'm not a big baseball fan so I couldn't give you baseball details, but most college sports revolve around recruiting. If you have better talent you win. Polk has stated he has lost the fire to recruit. The obvious question is what have the assistant coaches been doing? Granted, the HC recruiting you carries a lot of weight, but is there anything that prevents the assistants from working their tails off to recruit inspite of the HC? If they had been working hard, there wouldn't be the lack of talent everyone claims. The fact that MSU doesn't have the talent is an obvious indicator that no assistant within the program is ready for the HC job.

Maybe this is oversimplified, and maybe there is a rule that states only the HC can recruit which eliminates this line of thinking. But to me it's obvious- let Polk take his retirement lap one last time, and hire outside the program at the end of the year. Raffo winning one or two more games this year shoudn't matter.</p>

 

[Stormrider81]

He gets his ego stroked for a month and a half just like it was yesterday with UGA's "classy" showing. He has been told for years that he hung the moon, he won't pass up on this golden opportunity to soak all that up one last time.

Now, obviously Polk deserves tons of kudos for where SEC baseball is compared to where it was before him.

 

[MSUCE99]

[No message]

 

[Sarc Dawg]

That still doesn't account for the lack of talent many are complaining about. Can a different strategy make up for that and get MSU to the level everyone expects?

As I said, Polk has admitted a lack of fire in recruiting- my arguement is that if an asisstant had what it took, they could make up for it. They haven't, so I wouldn't think promoting from within is the answer.