Mike Pollio
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | May 12, 1943 |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1975–1980 | Old Dominion (assistant) |
1980–1985 | Kentucky Wesleyan |
1985–1989 | VCU |
1989–1992 | Eastern Kentucky |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
c. 1983 | Kentucky Wesleyan |
2002–2010 | Mid-South Conference (commissioner) |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 233–105 |
Tournaments | 2–1 (NIT) 13–4 (NCAA Division II) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
3 GLVC regular season (1983–1985) | |
Mike Pollio (born May 12, 1943) is an American former basketball coach and college athletics administrator.
Early life and education
[edit]Pollio was born May 12, 1943. He graduated from Bellarmine College in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[1]
Career
[edit]After graduating, he was Paul Webb's assistant coach at Old Dominion University for five years.[1]
He was the head men's basketball coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College from 1980 to 1985. Afterwards, Pollio had a choice of going to James Madison University, ODU, or Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He ultimately chose VCU because his friend Lewis Mills was athletic director there. He coached at VCU from 1985 to 1989.[2]
Eastern Kentucky University
[edit]He was head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1989 to 1992, compiling a career college basketball coaching record of 233–105. Under Pollio, the Panthers moved from last place to second place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference men's basketball tournament. At Kentucky Wesleyan, he also served as athletic director, reviving the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers football program in 1983 after a 53-year hiatus.[3] He was inducted into the Kentucky Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 2014.[4]
Mid-South Conference
[edit]From 2002 until June 2010, he was the commissioner of the Mid-South Conference.[5] During Pollio's tenure as commissioner, the conference expanded from nine members to fourteen members, allowing it to receive two automatic bids to the NAIA football national championship. The conference also established the MSC Radio Network and signed an agreement with Wazoo Sports Network to broadcast games on television and the internet.[6]
Head coaching record
[edit]Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (Great Lakes Valley Conference) (1980–1985) | |||||||||
1980–81 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 16–12 | 7–4 | 2nd | |||||
1981–82 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 27–5 | 9–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division II Third Place | ||||
1982–83 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 22–8 | 10–2 | 1st | NCAA Division II Sweet 16 | ||||
1983–84 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 28–3 | 10–2 | 1st | NCAA Division II Third Place | ||||
1984–85 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 24–7 | 10–4 | T–1st | NCAA Division II Third Place | ||||
Kentucky Wesleyan: | 117–35 | 46–15 | |||||||
VCU Rams (Sun Belt Conference) (1985–1989) | |||||||||
1985–86 | VCU | 12–16 | 6–8 | 5th | |||||
1986–87 | VCU | 17–14 | 7–7 | 4th | |||||
1987–88 | VCU | 23–12 | 10–4 | 2nd | NIT quarterfinal | ||||
1988–89 | VCU | 13–15 | 9–5 | 3rd | |||||
VCU: | 65–57 | 32–24 | |||||||
Eastern Kentucky Colonels (Ohio Valley Conference) (1989–1992) | |||||||||
1989–90 | Eastern Kentucky | 13–17 | 7–5 | 4th | |||||
1990–91 | Eastern Kentucky | 19–10 | 9–3 | 2nd | |||||
1991–92 | Eastern Kentucky | 19–14 | 9–5 | 2nd | |||||
Eastern Kentucky: | 51–42 | 25–13 | |||||||
Total: | 233–105 | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Mike Pollio (Former Head Coach)". Coaches Database. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
- ^ correspondent, JERRY LINDQUIST Special (2021-07-23). "Jerry Lindquist's Sports Memories: Catching up with former VCU hoops coach Mike Pollio". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Kentucky Wesleyan College". Archived from the original on November 13, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ^ "Mike Pollio (2014) - Hall of Fame". Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
- ^ "Pollio retiring as Mid-South commissioner". Lexington Herald Leader. February 9, 2010.
- ^ jasondannelly (2010-02-09). "Mid-South Conference Commissioner Mike Pollio To Retire June 30". Victory Sports Network. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
- 1943 births
- Living people
- American men's basketball coaches
- Bellarmine University alumni
- Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's basketball coaches
- Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers athletic directors
- Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers men's basketball coaches
- Mid-South Conference commissioners
- Old Dominion Monarchs men's basketball coaches
- VCU Rams men's basketball coaches
- Louisville, Kentucky stubs
- American basketball biography, 1940s birth stubs