Shawn Reneé Polk, who has gained a reputation as one of the better young coaches in the Boston area, became UMass Boston’s 10th women’s basketball coach in August 1998. Now in her sixth year at the helm of the Beacons’ program, she has brought in a core of players that have helped UMass Boston become one of the top programs in the region under her guidance. The Beacons have shown improvement over the course of her six years and become one of the Little East Conference’s top teams.

Polk came to UMass Boston with extensive experience in the Boston basketball circles. She spent two seasons as the head coach at Roxbury Community College and has worked with a number of local basketball organizations.

Polk has established herself as an active leader in sports and athletics in the city of Boston. She is the former Director of the highly regarded Boston Neighborhood Basketball League (BNBL), the city’s oldest youth basketball league. She oversaw all operations of the entire league, including 22 sites with over 3,000 boys and girls between the ages of 11-19. She was also the sports director at the YMCA in Boston for two years, a physical education teacher for the City on A Hill Charter School in Boston and has worked as an event manager and a coach with the Bay State Games.

A 1993 graduate of UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in sport management, Polk also serves as the facilities scheduling coordinator for the UMass Boston athletic department. She is a resident of Dorchester.