After assistant general manager Jeff Cohen left in 1981 to become GM of the Kansas City Kings, Volk was chosen to succeed him while remaining the team's chief legal counsel.
[2] When Red Auerbach announced that he would retire as Celtics general manager following the 1984 NBA draft, he designated Volk as his preference as his successor.
[1] Volk's first move as Celtics General Manager came on October 16, 1984, when he traded Gerald Henderson to the Seattle SuperSonics for a 1st round pick in the 1986 NBA draft.
In his first season as GM, the Celtics had a 63–19 record and returned to the NBA Finals, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
[6] Despite the death of their top draft pick, the Celtics finished the 1986–87 season with a 59–23 and appeared in their fourth consecutive NBA Finals, losing to the Lakers 4–2.