Mark Polsgrove has been selected as the Lees-McRae men’s basketball assistant coach, head coach Steve Hardin announced Monday afternoon. Polsgrove comes to Banner Elk after spending the past three years working for Appalachian State’s men’s basketball program in various capacities.
“I would like to thank Coach Hardin for providing me the opportunity to become an assistant coach,” Polsgrove said. “I have a lot of respect for him both as a person and as a coach and I am excited to be a part of his staff and the great program at Lees-McRae. I cannot wait for our guys to get on campus and continue to bring excellence and excitement to Dunk Mountain!”
Polsgrove spent this past season as the Director of Player Development for Appalachian State where he oversaw that area of the program. Prior to that appointment, Polsgrove spent the two previous years as a graduate assistant for the Mountaineers where he served in a variety of roles, including video coordinator, assistant director of camps, coordinating and executing alumni and booster events and led the design of all game and practice uniforms, as well as, the design and ordering of all team gear.
Before joining Appalachian State’s coaching staff, Polsgrove spent three seasons as a member of the Gardner-Webb University men’s basketball program. He spent two seasons working for current Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann and one season working for current head coach Tim Craft. While at GWU, Polsgrove served as the head manager and assistant video coordinator from 2013 to 2014. He oversaw and hired student managers, developed and organized team scouting reports, assisted in player development, assisted the director of operations and served as the co-director of summer team camps.
Before being promoted, Polsgrove served as a student manager and later being promoted to head manager prior to the 2012-13 season. Beginning as a manager in 2011, he managed team gear/equipment and laundry, while contributing with film editing, scouting reports and keeping stats. He also oversaw recruiting biographies and recruiting mail-outs.
“I am ecstatic to hire Mark Polsgrove,” said Hardin. “I have known him since he was 8-10 years old in my first assistant coaching position with his dad, Scott. We are blessed to have an experienced assistant in Mark with stints at Gardner-Webb and Appalachian State. Mark brings youth, expertise in individual work and knowledge of where the future is going with technology in basketball. After working two separate stints for the former Bobcat Head Coach Scott Polsgrove, it’s a great honor to hire Mark. Mark is built from the same cloth as I am in being a coach’s son. I am excited about the future of our program.”
Polsgrove earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sports management from Gardner-Webb in 2013. He also earned a master’s degree from Appalachian State in 2016.
http://www.lmcbobcats.com/sports/mbkb/2017-18/releases/20170724iy176x
