Sports

Ron Polk – the former Mississippi State coach – is furious with the school’s new athletic director and said that he is “utterly cruel” for bringing in Kentucky’s John Cohen. He told the school that he would be removing his name from the stadium and would be taking it out of his will.

Polk has been campaigning for Tommy Raffo – the assistant coach and a former player – to take over since he first stated that he would be retiring in March. The 64 year old said that he told the athletic director Greg Byrne that there would be consequences if Raffo was not promoted.

“Now he’s got me on the war path and all I can do is hurt him,” Polk said of Byrne in a phone interview with The Associated Press from Athens, Ga., where he is watching Georgia play North Carolina State in an NCAA super regional. “I’m going to do everything I can to make his life miserable.”

The 41-year-old Cohen will be introduced Saturday at news conferences in Starkville and Jackson. He resigned from his job at Kentucky on Friday morning. Wildcats athletic director Mitch Barnhart immediately promoted associate head coach Gary Henderson.

Polk, 64, said he was disappointed that Cohen went against his wishes, but put the blame on Byrne.

“Now our new athletic director throws me under the bus, slaps me in the face, punches me in the stomach,” said Polk. “Technically, he did the same thing with Tommy Raffo ? and all our coaches, all our signees, returning players and their parents who wanted Tommy all the way.”

In addition to taking his name off the stadium, Polk said he will personally take down the banners that display his name and number. He also will use his influence to scuttle a number of support programs, such as the foster parent program and the Dugout Club.