College Football
Price 'reborn' as UTEP head coach

By The Associated Press

	RUBEN R. RAMIREZ / AP Mike Price, new University of Texas-El Paso football coach, speaks at a news conference yesterday in El Paso.
	E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Related stories What they're saying about Mike Price

EL PASO, Texas — Mike Price has been waiting seven months to try to rebuild his coaching career. Texas-El Paso is happy to give him a chance.

The Miners hired Price yesterday despite a reputation tarnished by a night of partying at a Florida strip club months after being hired at Alabama. The longtime Washington State coach never coached a game for the Crimson Tide and has been trying to restore his image ever since.

"I feel reborn," Price said. "When something you love has been taken away, it really hurts. It hurt me so much that now I know that coaching was my true calling."

Price, who maintains that the events that led to his departure were reported inaccurately, vows to be on his best behavior.

"A lot has happened to me since last April," he said. "I will continue to try to clear my name, but I can assure that such a mistake will never again happen to Mike Price."

UTEP athletic director Bob Stull cited a relationship of more than 20 years with Price, 57, as part of his reason for giving him this opportunity. His coaching credentials made him a strong candidate to lead a team that has long been an also-ran in the Western Athletic Conference. The Miners have gone 14-34 the last four seasons under Gary Nord, who was fired Dec. 1.

Price turned Washington State into a Pac-10 title contender in his 14 seasons in Pullman, going 83-77 and leading the Cougars to five bowl games. Among his protégés were quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf.

"We know Mike Price is a man who has been humbled by a highly public mistake," UTEP president Diana Natalicio said. "He paid dearly for that grievous error in judgment, and all of us believe he has earned the opportunity to restart his career."

The hiring is similar to what Texas Tech did three years ago when it gave the volatile Bob Knight a chance to rebuild his career and Tech's struggling basketball program.

"I've always viewed him as not only a tremendous coach, but a great person and an outstanding representative of college football," Stull said of Price.

"He has done a remarkable job of turning around programs and building nationally ranked teams."

Price, a surprise choice to replace Dennis Franchione at Alabama after the 2002 season, got in trouble in April when he went to a topless bar after attending a golf tournament in Florida.

Alabama president Robert Witt fired Price after he admitted drinking heavily and visiting the strip club.

Price sued the school for $20 million over his firing, but a judge threw out the lawsuit, noting that the fact Price never signed his seven-year, $10 million contract prevented him from claiming he was defrauded.

Price said yesterday the deal with UTEP would not be finalized for several weeks.

The coach also filed a $20 million lawsuit against Time Inc., charging that he was libeled and slandered by a story in Sports Illustrated (owned by Time) detailing his actions the night he visited the strip club.

Price, who also coached Weber State for eight seasons, has a career record of 129-121.

Price said his UTEP teams would "concentrate on defense first, then special teams and then the offense."

"My father always told me if you go someplace where you're wanted and needed, you'll always have a better chance of success," he said.

Notes

• Six Boise State players were ruled academically ineligible and won't play for the No. 18 Broncos in the Fort Worth Bowl against No. 19 TCU tomorrow night. The only starter among the six ineligible players is left guard Tyrone Tutogi.

The others are backup defensive backs Brad Allen, Cam Hall and Terrial Hall, receiver Tony McPherson and tight end Trent Lundin.

• Notre Dame's new five-year television contract with NBC will not play a significant role in the school's decision whether to keep its football program independent.

"There's not an immediate correlation of any kind between those two things," athletic director Kevin White said yesterday. "We're going to continue to monitor our choice."

After Notre Dame and NBC announced the five-year extension, worth a reported $9 million a year, many observers speculated that it was a sign the school, a Big East member in basketball and other sports, would remain an independent in football.

Price's record
A look the coaching record of Mike Price:
Year	College	W-L	Finish
2002	Washington State	10-2	1st (tie)*
2001	Washington State	10-2	2nd (tie)
2000	Washington State	4-7	8th (tie)
1999	Washington State	3-9	10th
1998	Washington State	3-8	10th
1997	Washington State	10-2	1st (tie)*
1996	Washington State	5-6	5th (tie)
1995	Washington State	3-8	8th (tie)
1994	Washington State	8-4	4th
1993	Washington State	5-6	6th
1992	Washington State	9-3	3rd (tie)
1991	Washington State	4-7	6th (tie)
1990	Washington State	3-8	9th
1989	Washington State	6-5	7th (tie)
1988	Weber State	5-6	4th (tie)
1987	Weber State	10-3	1st (tie)
1986	Weber State	3-8	6th (tie)
1985	Weber State	6-5	4th
1984	Weber State	5-6	6th
1983	Weber State	6-5	5th
1982	Weber State	4-7	7th
1981	Weber State	7-4	4th
Career totals		129-121
* Played in Rose Bowl

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