KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee men’s basketball assistant coach Gregg Polinsky will be inducted into the Ladue Schools Athletic Hall of Fame.
Polinsky is one of 25 members of the inaugural class of honorees, including the only male basketball player. The induction gala will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. ET at the Hilton St. Louis Frontena.
“The nomination period opened on September 27, 2024, and closed on February 28, 2025,” said Gary Siegel, chairman of the Ladue Schools Athletic Hall of Fame committee. “With over 130 submissions received from across generations, the Hall of Fame Committee, comprising past and current Ladue Schools staff and alumni, conducted a rigorous evaluation process. The result is a historic inaugural class representing a rich tapestry of athletic success and community spirit.”
A 1976 graduate of Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Polinsky scored 1,416 points in just three seasons, all without the 3-point line. He held the school scoring record for 38 years, until 2014. A 1976 All-Metro Second Team selection, Polinsky also set the school single-game scoring mark with 50 in a contest.
For Polinsky, who went on to play two years at New Mexico and one at Northern Arizona, this is his second hall of fame induction in his hometown. He was selected for the St. Louis Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Among the other notable Ladue honorees are four-time All-American swimmer Jim Halliburton, six-time U.S. champion racquetball player Marty Hogan, All-American sprinter Montene Roye-Speight, four-time NFL All-Pro Andy Russell, two-time FIFA World Cup champion Becky Sauerbrunn and four-year WNBA player Charmin Smith.
“I’ve known Gregg Polinsky since 1985 and I have as much respect for his work ethic as a coach as I do for anyone,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “He brings passion to everything he does and I can image that is what he was like as a player. I’m sure he was the type of competitor on the court who simply would not be outworked, just as he is now on the sideline as a coach. Gregg is someone who will always maximize his abilities and I am proud to congratulate him on this honor.”
Polinsky is in his fifth year on the Tennessee staff, including his fourth as an assistant coach. He owns 44 years of coaching/scouting experience, including 22 years in NBA scouting, 16 as a Power Five assistant coach, four as a Division I head coach and two as a junior college assistant coach.
The Volunteers are 109-36 (.752) during Polinsky’s four-year tenure, with three Sweet 16 trips, two Elite Eight bids, one SEC regular season crown and one SEC Tournament title.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
