James Robert Polk (February 28, 1915 – March 18, 1986) was an American basketball coach. Polk coached the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Trinity Tigers, the Saint Louis Billikens and Rice University. He began his college coaching career as an assistant coach a Georgia Tech during World War II. His first coaching job was at his high school alma mater Tell City High, in Tell City, Indiana. Early life Polk was born in Tell City, Indiana and began to play basketball in the 4th grade. After high school, Polk attended the Evansville College from 1936 to 1939. He worked part-time at several jobs, including sweeping out the College President's office, running a movie projector, bank teller and working in a tomato canning factory. to help pay his college expenses. He was a guard on the basketball team under long-time Purple Aces' coach Bill Slyker from 1935-36 to 1938–39. In Polk's sophomore season (1935–36), Evansille finished 11–7. This would mark the best season for the Purple Aces during Polk's college playing career. High school coaching Polk began his career in coaching by accepting a teaching and coaching job at his alma mater Tell City High School, Tell City, Indiana. Polk had graduated only 8 years earlier (1931) after leading the Marksmen to their fifth IHSAA Sectional title. Polk assisted Ivan Hollen, who also began that season, replacing future Purdue Boilermakers' Head Coach Ray Eddy. College coaching After a four-year tenure, Polk joined the U.S. Navy, he was assigned as a physical education instructor at Georgia Tech in the Navy's V-12 Program, he also assisted Georgia Tech head coach Dwayne Keith during the 1943–44 and 1944-45 seasons. After the war, Georgia Tech hired him as their assistant basketball coach. In 1943, he enlisted in the US Navy and was assigned as a physical education instructor at Georgia Institute of Technology, he spent the 1943–44 and 1944-45 seasons as a Georgia Tech assistant to Dwayne Keith in addition to his US Navy duties, after the war ended he was hired in the same capacity by Georgia Tech. In February 1947, Vanderbilt was pummeled by the Kentucky Wildcats in the SEC Tournament 98-29, the Commodores Athletic Director (and football coach) Red Sanders decided to upgrade the basketball program by hiring a full-time coach and offering scholarships. His search led him to Bob Polk (another candidate who was interviewed for the job was the future legend, John