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Mike Price
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Michael Bruce Price (born April 6, 1946) is an American former college football coach. He was the head football coach at Weber State College from 1981 to 1988, Washington State University from 1989 to 2002, and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2004 to 2012. Price returned to UTEP as interim head coach for the final seven games of the 2017 season. He was hired at the University of Alabama in December 2002, but was fired before coaching a game in 2003.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Born in Colorado, Price grew up in Everett, Washington,[1] 25 miles (40 km) north of Seattle. He was the son of Walt Price, the longtime head football coach at Everett Junior College. At Everett High School,[2] Price was a teammate of Dennis Erickson,[3] the son of Pinky Erickson, the head coach at cross-town rival Cascade High. Everett High was coached by Bill Dunn, a next-door neighbor of the Ericksons. Dennis Erickson was a year behind Price, but took his job as starting quarterback midway through Price's senior year, and Price was moved to defense as a safety. The team finished 9–1. Price went on to play at Everett Junior College, Washington State, and finally at Puget Sound, where he co-captained the football team and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.[4]
Price met his wife, the former Joyce Taylor, in kindergarten in the early 1950s. They were married at age 19 and they had three children: two sons (who were his assistant coaches) and a daughter.
Assistant coaching career
[edit]Price started his coaching career in 1969 as a graduate assistant for two seasons at Washington State, then was the offensive coordinator at his alma mater, UPS, for three.[5] He returned to WSU for four seasons in 1974 as the running backs coach, and in his first months on staff landed what would be one of the greatest recruits in school history, quarterback Jack Thompson out of Evergreen High in Seattle.[6] Price also successfully recruited future baseball hall-of-famer Ryne Sandberg to play quarterback for the Cougars but Sandberg chose to sign a contract out of high school with the Philadelphia Phillies.[7] His final job as an assistant was at Missouri under head coach Warren Powers, where he coached the quarterbacks and wide receivers for three years, from 1978 to 1980.
Head coaching career
[edit]Weber State
[edit]Following the 1980 season, Price landed his first head coaching position at Weber State of the Big Sky Conference, a job for which friend Dennis Erickson was also a finalist. Erickson would get the Idaho job the next year, and returned the favor (following the 1986 season) by beating out Price for the Washington State job. Upon leaving just two years later for Miami, Erickson recommended Price, who got the WSU job and then rented Erickson's Pullman home. Price was at Weber State through 1988, compiling a 46–44 (.511) record in eight seasons. His best year was 1987, when the Wildcats went 9–2 (6–1 in conference), and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoffs to finish at 10–3.
Washington State
[edit]In March 1989, Price was hired by WSU Athletic Director Jim Livengood to be head coach of the Washington State team. Price and Livengood had been friends since 1964 when they both played quarterback at Everett Junior College. Price was chosen over former Washington assistant coach Ray Dorr.[8]
On the field, Price was noted for his historic success at Washington State, where he served for fourteen seasons (1989–2002) and compiled a 83–78 (.516) record, with three ten-win seasons and five bowl appearances. His last two seasons at "Wazzu" combined for a 20–5 record (13–3 in the Pac-10). Price's 2002 team compiled a 7–1 mark in the conference and advanced to the Rose Bowl, where they were defeated by the Oklahoma Sooners 34–14. Five years earlier in 1997, Price was named National Coach of the Year, as the Cougars returned to the Rose Bowl after more than sixty years. Price, who also guided WSU to the 2003 Rose Bowl, calls the 1998 Rose Bowl his greatest coaching achievement.[9] During his tenure at Washington State, he mentored some of the greatest players in the school's history, including quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Leaf, and Jason Gesser.
Prior to his departure, Price had recently signed a five-year contract at a base salary of $600,000 per year. With incentives, his compensation exceeded $900,000 in his final season at WSU.[10] His original contract in 1989 was a four-year deal at $75,000 per year with unspecified television and radio revenues.[11]
Alabama
[edit]Price may be best known nationally for an off-the-field incident during his brief stint at Alabama. In December 2002, he was hired in principle to replace Dennis Franchione as the head coach of the Crimson Tide. Price was at Alabama during the 2003 spring practice, but in May his contract was rescinded shortly after news reports surfaced of Price being seen at a strip club during a trip to Pensacola, Florida, where Price was playing in a golf tournament, and he also had about $1,000 charged to his hotel room by an unknown woman staying in the room. This development came on the heels of an earlier reprimand for visiting campus-area bars and drinking into the early hours in Tuscaloosa.[12][13]
UTEP
[edit]On December 21, 2003, Texas-El Paso announced the hiring of Price as its new head coach.[14]
In his first season in 2004, he led the Miners to an 8–4 record and a berth in the Houston Bowl, where they lost to Colorado. It was a significant turnaround for the Miners, who had won only two games in each of their previous three seasons. UTEP earned its first-ever ranking in the AP Poll in 2004, rising as high as 23rd in early November. Price was a finalist for Eddie Robinson Award and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for coach of the year. His starting salary at UTEP in 2004 was $225,000 plus incentives.[15]
In 2010, Price became the second coach to take UTEP to three bowl games, after Mike Brumbelow, who led the Miners to the hometown Sun Bowl after the 1953, 1954, and 1956 seasons.[16]
Days before the final game of the 2012 season, Price announced his retirement.[17] He returned as interim coach midway through the 2017 season following the departure of Sean Kugler, who had resigned after the fifth game; UTEP went winless for the season.
Head coaching record
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber State Wildcats (Big Sky Conference) (1981–1988) | |||||||||
| 1981 | Weber State | 7–4 | 4–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1982 | Weber State | 4–7 | 2–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1983 | Weber State | 6–5 | 4–3 | T–5th | |||||
| 1984 | Weber State | 5–6 | 3–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1985 | Weber State | 6–5 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1986 | Weber State | 3–8 | 2–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1987 | Weber State | 10–3 | 6–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1988 | Weber State | 5–6 | 3–4 | T–4th | |||||
| Weber State: | 46–44 | 28–28 | |||||||
| Washington State Cougars (Pacific-10 Conference) (1989–2002) | |||||||||
| 1989 | Washington State | 6–5 | 3–5 | 8th | |||||
| 1990 | Washington State | 3–8 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1991 | Washington State | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1992 | Washington State | 9–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd | W Copper | 17 | 15 | ||
| 1993 | Washington State | 5–6 | 3–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1994 | Washington State | 8–4 | 5–3 | 4th | W Alamo | 19 | 21 | ||
| 1995 | Washington State | 3–8 | 2–6 | T–8th | |||||
| 1996 | Washington State | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–8th | |||||
| 1997 | Washington State | 10–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | L Rose | 9 | 9 | ||
| 1998 | Washington State | 3–8 | 0–8 | 10th | |||||
| 1999 | Washington State | 3–9 | 1–7 | 10th | |||||
| 2000 | Washington State | 4–7 | 2–6 | T–8th | |||||
| 2001 | Washington State | 10–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd | W Sun | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2002 | Washington State | 10–3 | 7–1 | T–1st | L Rose† | 10 | 10 | ||
| Washington State: | 82–78 | 49–63 | |||||||
| UTEP Miners (Western Athletic Conference) (2004) | |||||||||
| 2004 | UTEP | 8–4 | 6–2 | 2nd | L Houston | ||||
| UTEP Miners (Conference USA) (2005–2012) | |||||||||
| 2005 | UTEP | 8–4 | 5–3 | 2nd (West) | L GMAC | ||||
| 2006 | UTEP | 5–7 | 3–5 | 5th (West) | |||||
| 2007 | UTEP | 4–8 | 2–6 | 5th (West) | |||||
| 2008 | UTEP | 5–7 | 4–4 | 4th (West) | |||||
| 2009 | UTEP | 4–8 | 3–5 | T–3rd (West) | |||||
| 2010 | UTEP | 6–7 | 3–5 | T–4th (West) | L New Mexico | ||||
| 2011 | UTEP | 5–7 | 2–6 | 5th (West) | |||||
| 2012 | UTEP | 3–9 | 2–6 | T–5th (West) | |||||
| UTEP Miners (Conference USA) (2017) | |||||||||
| 2017 | UTEP | 0–7 | 0–7 | 7th (West) | |||||
| UTEP: | 48–68 | 30–49 | |||||||
| Total: | 176–190 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Notes
[edit]- ^ Price was hired in December 2002 and dismissed in May 2003 before the start of Alabama's season.
References
[edit]- ^ Patterson, Nick (June 10, 2022). "Everett native, coaching legend Price holds local youth camp". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ "UTEP's Mike Price, an ex-Washington State coach, is retiring | College football". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. November 19, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ Ramsdell, Paul (September 30, 1982). "Friendly enemies". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1C.
- ^ University of Puget Sound Yearbook, 1969
- ^ "Price will stay as Cougar aide". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). December 21, 1976. p. 33.
- ^ "An oral history of WSU football's greatest recruiting class: the class of 1974". Cougfan.com. (Washington). May 13, 2021. p. 1.
- ^ John Blanchette (July 31, 2005). "An Early Star Quality". Spokesmanreview.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ Witter, Greg (February 27, 2023). "The colorful backstory of Mike Price's WSU hiring as he enters another hall of fame". Cougfan.com. (Pullman, Washington). p. 1.
- ^ Vinnick, Jamey (September 30, 2022). "Making WSU history in 1997: For Mike Price and players it's still a joyride". Cougfan.com. (Pullman, Washington). p. 1.
- ^ Strickland, Carter (December 16, 2002). "Alabama interested in Price". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. C1.
- ^ Bergum, Steve (March 15, 1989). "Price: 'I'm here to save the day'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D1.
- ^ Moore, Jim (May 5, 2003). "Mike Price never figured his date with Destiny would end like this". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
- ^ Whiteside, Kelly (May 3, 2003). "Price fired as coach of Alabama". USA Today. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Price gets second chance at struggling UTEP". Sports Illustrated. December 21, 2003. Archived from the original on December 25, 2003. Retrieved April 18, 2007.
- ^ USA Today.com - Coaching agrees with Mike Price - November 8, 2004 - accessed March 26, 2012
- ^ Mike Price. "Player Bio: Mike Price - University of Texas at El Paso Official Athletic Site". Utepathletics.com. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ Martinez, Leonard (November 19, 2012), UTEP coach Mike Price announces retirement, KVIA-TV, archived from the original on November 28, 2012, retrieved November 19, 2012
Additional sources
[edit]- "Out of Everett," 'The Seattle Times' Pacific Magazine, Sunday, August 13, 1995, p. 12–17.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
Mike Price
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and education
Childhood and family background
Michael Bruce Price was born on April 6, 1946, in Denver, Colorado, but was raised in Everett, Washington, approximately 25 miles north of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest.[1][12] He grew up in a family deeply immersed in athletics, as the youngest of three sons born to Walt Price, a prominent head football coach from 1948 to 1964 (16 years) and athletics director until 1980 at Everett Junior College, and his wife.[13][14] His older brothers were Geoff, who later worked in real estate in California, and Walt Jr., a deceased artist.[13] Price was an all-conference quarterback and three-year varsity letterwinner at Everett High School, graduating in 1964, where he was a teammate of future coach Dennis Erickson.[2] Price's early life was profoundly shaped by his father's coaching career, which instilled in him a passion for football from a very young age. In Everett's close-knit community, where high school and junior college sports held significant local importance, young Mike idolized his father as his primary sports hero, far more than any professional athlete. He frequently served as a ball boy for his father's home games at Everett Junior College, traveled with the team to away contests, and attended halftime and postgame locker room speeches, immersing himself in the team's dynamics.[14][15] These experiences extended to Sundays, when the Price family gathered to watch game films, where Mike learned football strategies—often referred to as "Xs and Os"—before he had fully mastered the alphabet. This hands-on involvement in his father's world fostered an early dream of becoming a coach himself, influenced by the Pacific Northwest's rugged, community-oriented sports culture and the direct paternal guidance that emphasized discipline and tactical understanding.[14][13] Such pre-high school exposure laid the groundwork for his later athletic pursuits.College playing career
Mike Price began his college football career at Everett Junior College in 1964, where he shared quarterback duties with Jim Livengood on the Trojans team.[16] After one year, he transferred to Washington State University, playing for the Cougars from 1965 to 1966 under head coach Bert Clark.[17] At Washington State, Price redshirted as a quarterback in his first season before seeing action in the secondary during his second year.[17] He contributed to the team's defenses in the Pac-8 Conference during seasons that ended with records of 7–3 in 1965 and 3–7 in 1966, though specific individual statistics from his time there are not widely documented.[2] Seeking more playing opportunities on a two-platoon team, Price transferred to the University of Puget Sound for his final two seasons, from 1967 to 1968, where he played both quarterback and defensive back for the Loggers.[2] As a senior in 1968, he served as team captain, leading the squad in a small-college program.[17] Price earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Puget Sound in 1969.[2]Coaching career
Assistant coaching roles
Mike Price began his coaching career shortly after completing his college playing tenure at Washington State University. His first role was as a graduate assistant coach at Washington State from 1969 to 1970, where he worked under head coach Jim Sweeney, assisting with various aspects of the football program including player development and game preparation.[2][4] Following his graduate assistant stint, Price served as offensive coordinator at the University of Puget Sound—his alma mater—from 1971 to 1973, where he was responsible for designing and implementing the team's offensive strategies.[2] He returned to Washington State in 1974 as running backs coach, a position he held through 1977 under head coaches Jim Sweeney, Jackie Sherrill, and Warren Powers; in this role, he focused on coaching the running backs unit, contributing to the team's overall offensive execution.[2][4] Price's final assistant coaching position came at the University of Missouri from 1978 to 1980, where he coached quarterbacks and wide receivers under head coach Al Onofrio. During this period, he helped guide the Tigers to three bowl appearances, including the 1978 Liberty Bowl, 1979 Hall of Fame Classic, and 1980 Liberty Bowl, emphasizing quarterback development and passing game coordination.[2] These roles across multiple programs allowed Price to build expertise in offensive coaching, working with key mentors like Sweeney and gaining experience at both small-college and major university levels before transitioning to head coaching opportunities.[2]Head coach at Weber State
Mike Price was appointed head coach of the Weber State College football team in 1981 at the age of 35, taking over a program that had struggled without a winning record in several years.[18][19] During his eight-season tenure from 1981 to 1988, Price compiled an overall record of 46–44, achieving four winning seasons and stabilizing the team within the Big Sky Conference.[20][2] His leadership marked a transitional period for the small-college program, shifting it from consistent underperformance to competitive contention in NCAA Division I-AA. A pinnacle achievement came in 1987, when Price guided the Wildcats to a 10–3 record, including a 7–1 mark in Big Sky play that secured a co-championship.[21][2] The team advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA quarterfinals, defeating Eastern Kentucky in the first round before falling to Appalachian State. For this success, Price was named Big Sky Coach of the Year.[22] He emphasized player development, notably with running back Fine Unga, a Hall of Famer who rushed for key yards in the 1987 campaign, and quarterback Jamie Martin, whom Price recruited as a junior college transfer to lead the offense.[23][24] Linebacker Robb Akey also emerged as a standout under Price's guidance.[22] Price introduced innovative recruiting strategies focused on identifying versatile high school talent and adapting them to college roles, alongside an early adoption of the spread offense to maximize passing efficiency in the Big Sky.[24] This philosophy, still nascent in the 1980s, allowed players like Martin to thrive, with the quarterback setting school passing records and later enjoying a 16-year NFL career.[25] The approach revitalized team dynamics and attracted regional recruits, contributing to the program's first conference title in its history. Price departed Weber State after the 1988 season, which ended with a 5–6 record, to accept the head coaching position at Washington State University.[26] His tenure left a lasting impact on the small-college program by establishing a foundation of competitiveness, developing professional-caliber talent, and elevating Weber State's profile within the Big Sky Conference, paving the way for future stability.[18][27]Head coach at Washington State
Mike Price was hired as head football coach at Washington State University on March 14, 1989, succeeding Dennis Erickson after a successful stint at Weber State where he had developed a pass-oriented offensive philosophy.[28] At the time, the Cougars program was mired in mediocrity, having posted only one winning season in the previous six years and enduring a 19-loss streak in 26 games prior to Price's arrival, with their last major bowl appearance dating back 67 years.[29] Price inherited a team that had struggled in the competitive Pac-10 Conference, often finishing near the bottom with limited national visibility and fan support.[30] During his 14-year tenure from 1989 to 2002, Price compiled an overall record of 83-77, transforming Washington State into a consistent contender and elevating the program's national profile.[10] His teams achieved three 10-win seasons—in 1997 (10-3), 2001 (10-2), and 2002 (10-3)—marking the first such successes in school history and culminating in back-to-back 10-win campaigns to close his time in Pullman.[4] Price's major accomplishments included leading the Cougars to two Rose Bowl appearances, first in 1998 after the 1997 season where they finished ranked No. 9 nationally, and again in 2003 following the 2002 campaign as Pac-10 co-champions, also ending ranked No. 10.[4] He earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in 1997, when his team went 10-2 in the regular season and reached No. 9 in the AP Poll, and again in 2001 after another 10-2 regular-season mark that secured a Sun Bowl victory.[31] These achievements represented a stark turnaround, as Price's Cougars qualified for five bowl games overall, including wins in the 1992 Copper Bowl and 1994 Alamo Bowl, compared to just two postseason berths in the program's prior 97 years of existence.[32] Price's success was built around developing elite quarterbacks, notably Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf, who became cornerstone players in his high-octane passing attack. Bledsoe, under Price's guidance from 1990 to 1992, set school records for passing yards and touchdowns, leading the 1992 team to a 9-3 regular season and earning first-round NFL Draft selection as the No. 1 overall pick in 1993.[33] Leaf followed suit from 1995 to 1997, shattering Bledsoe's records with 7,433 career passing yards and 59 touchdowns, while guiding the 1997 squad to its Rose Bowl berth; he was chosen second overall in the 1998 NFL Draft.[4] These players exemplified Price's talent for recruiting and mentoring Pacific Northwest passers, contributing to four first-round NFL Draft picks during his tenure.[4] Offensively, Price adapted a one-back spread system influenced by his time under Dennis Erickson, emphasizing quick passes, multiple receivers, and simplicity to maximize explosive plays against Pac-10 defenses.[34] This approach, often described as a precursor to modern spread offenses, featured shotgun formations and run-and-shoot elements, allowing quarterbacks like Leaf to thrive with high completion rates and big-yardage gains; in 1997, the Cougars ranked third nationally in passing offense at 343.8 yards per game.[35] Price hosted the first one-back clinic at Washington State in 1999, sharing innovations that prioritized spacing and speed over complex protections, which helped sustain the program's relevance despite early struggles like consecutive losing seasons in 1990 and 1991.[36] Despite periodic down years, such as 3-9 in 1999 amid injuries and turnover, Price's strategies fostered resilience, culminating in the 2002 team's 10-2 regular season and Holiday Bowl appearance.[32] Price's tenure ultimately shifted Washington State from a perennial also-ran to a program capable of national contention, instilling a winning culture that boosted attendance and alumni pride while overcoming recruiting challenges in a talent-rich conference.[37] By 2002, his efforts had produced the school's highest-ranking finishes since the 1940s, with the Cougars achieving top-10 AP Poll status twice under his leadership.[32]Head coach at Alabama
Mike Price was hired as the head football coach at the University of Alabama on December 18, 2002, succeeding Mike DuBose, who had been dismissed following NCAA violations and a 6-6 record in 2000.[38] Price, coming off a successful tenure at Washington State where he led the Cougars to 10 wins and a Holiday Bowl victory in 2002, signed a verbal agreement for a seven-year, $10 million contract to restore Alabama's program amid ongoing NCAA sanctions and recruiting challenges.[21] Expectations were high for Price to revitalize the Crimson Tide, a storied program that had not won an SEC title since 1992 and was seeking stability after three coaches in five years.[39] In early 2003, Price quickly assembled his coaching staff to prepare for the upcoming season. On January 7, he was formally introduced, and by January 8, he announced four assistant hires: his son Aaron Price as quarterbacks coach, Chris Ball for secondary, Bob Connelly for offensive line, and Kasey Dunn as assistant head coach and running backs coach.[40] In February, he added Joe Kines as defensive coordinator, a veteran coach from Texas, to bolster the defense that had struggled under previous regimes.[41] These moves signaled an aggressive start to recruiting and team preparation, with Price emphasizing a pro-style offense similar to his Washington State system. Price's tenure ended abruptly due to the Pensacola Beach Resort scandal in April 2003. While attending a celebrity golf tournament for a children's charity in Pensacola, Florida, on April 16, Price visited the topless bar Arety's Angels, where he reportedly spent over $600 on drinks, tips, and private lap dances, including one from a dancer named Destiny.[42] Later that night, Destiny accompanied him to his room at the Pensacola Beach Resort, leading to allegations of solicitation after she attempted to charge $1,000 to his hotel bill the next morning; Price denied any sexual activity, claiming he was too intoxicated to recall details.[43] The incident gained media attention through reports by the Mobile Register, which detailed the events and prompted an internal university investigation amid heightened scrutiny on coach conduct following prior Alabama scandals.[44] On May 3, 2003, Alabama fired Price before he coached a single game, with President Robert E. Witt stating the decision was based on Price's failure to maintain personal and professional conduct consistent with university standards.[6] Witt described the firing as a "sad day" for Price, noting his expressed deep regret over the "inappropriate behavior."[7] Since Price had not formally signed his contract, no buyout was required, though he filed a $20 million wrongful termination lawsuit against the university in July 2003, which was dismissed by a federal judge in 2004 on the grounds that no binding agreement existed.[45] The scandal derailed Price's opportunity to lead a premier SEC program, overshadowing his coaching achievements and forcing a career pivot; in later statements, Price reflected on the event as a regrettable lapse in judgment exacerbated by alcohol, insisting it did not involve infidelity or illegal acts.[44]Head coach at UTEP
Following his dismissal from Alabama in 2003 amid a personal scandal, Price was hired by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) on December 21, 2003, as head coach to revitalize a program that had struggled for consistency in recent years.[46] At the time, UTEP had not achieved a winning season since 2000 and had only two bowl appearances in the prior three decades.[47] Price's arrival marked a fresh start, bringing his experience from successful tenures at Washington State and Weber State to a team transitioning from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) to Conference USA (C-USA) in 2005.[48] Over nine seasons from 2004 to 2012, Price compiled a 48-61 record, the second-most wins by any UTEP head coach.[48] His early success included consecutive 8-4 seasons in 2004 and 2005, UTEP's first back-to-back winning campaigns since 1966. These years propelled the Miners to three bowl games—the 2004 Houston Bowl (a 33-28 loss to Colorado), the 2005 GMAC Bowl (a 45-13 loss to Toledo), and the 2010 New Mexico Bowl (a 52-24 loss to BYU)—representing the program's most frequent postseason participation in over 50 years, as UTEP had only appeared in two bowls from 1967 to 2003.[10][49] Price's coaching emphasized an explosive, up-tempo offense designed to maximize big plays and quarterback development, a philosophy carried over from his Washington State days.[2] His teams frequently featured dynamic passing attacks, as seen in 2004 when UTEP scored 429 points (35.8 per game) en route to bowl eligibility, and in developing players like quarterback Jordan Palmer, who threw for over 3,000 yards in 2006, and running back Donald Buckram, who rushed for 1,645 yards in 2005. This approach not only boosted offensive output but also enhanced player growth, with several Miners earning All-C-USA honors under his guidance.[2] On November 19, 2012, with one game remaining in the season, Price announced his retirement after a 31-year head coaching career, citing a desire to step away following UTEP's 3-8 start that year.[48] Price later returned to UTEP as interim head coach for the final five games of the 2017 season, finishing with an 0-5 record, and was named interim again in March 2025.[50][9] His primary tenure at UTEP left a legacy of renewed competitiveness and the most bowl berths in program history.Later career and legacy
Interim coaching positions
After retiring from his full-time head coaching position at UTEP following the 2012 season, where he had led the program for nine years, Mike Price returned to the Miners in an interim capacity during the 2017 season. On October 2, 2017, UTEP athletic director Bob Stull appointed the 71-year-old Price as interim head coach after Sean Kugler resigned following an 0-5 start to the year.[51][52] Price guided the team through the remaining seven games, resulting in an 0-7 finish for that stretch and an overall 0-12 record for the season, amid ongoing program struggles.[53] He expressed that his decision to step in stemmed from deep loyalty to UTEP and a commitment to supporting the program's staff and players during a transitional period.[47] Since the 2017 stint, Price has remained retired from coaching, with no further formal roles documented as of 2025.Awards and honors
In 1997, Mike Price was named the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America for leading Washington State to a 10-2 record and a Rose Bowl appearance, marking the program's most successful season in decades.[54] He also received multiple other national coach of the year honors that year, including recognition from the Associated Press, becoming the first Washington State coach to achieve such acclaim.[4] Additionally, Price earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in 1997 for revitalizing the Cougars' program.[4] Price repeated as Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2001 after guiding Washington State to an 11-2 season and a Sun Bowl victory, showcasing his ability to build competitive teams in the conference.[17] In 2004, while at UTEP, he was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award, reflecting his success in turning around the Miners' program to a 8-4 record and a Sun Bowl berth.[2] Later in his career, Price received several lifetime achievement recognitions. In 2014, he was honored as the Sun Bowl Legend for his contributions to the game, including coaching in the 2001 Sun Bowl.[55] He was inducted into the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016 for his 13-year tenure that produced 83 wins and multiple bowl appearances.[4] In 2015, Price led the class of inductees into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame, acknowledging his nine seasons at UTEP where he amassed 48 victories and three bowl games.[56] Finally, in 2023, he was elected to the Pacific Northwest Football Hall of Fame for his overall impact on the region's football landscape.[11]Head coaching record
Mike Price's head coaching career resulted in 177 wins, 190 losses, and no ties across 367 games, yielding a .482 winning percentage.[10] His teams appeared in eight bowl games, compiling a 3–5 record.[32] Conference winning percentages varied by stint: .500 in the Big Sky at Weber State, .460 in the Pac-10 at Washington State (based on documented years), and .417 in the WAC/CUSA at UTEP (e.g., 6–2 in 2004 WAC).[20][57]Weber State Wildcats (1981–1988)
| Year | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 90 | 46 | 44 | 0 | .511 | Big Sky Conference: 29–29 (.500) |
Washington State Cougars (1989–2002)
| Year | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Bowl Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | None |
| 1990 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | None |
| 1991 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | None |
| 1992 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | Copper Bowl (W) |
| 1993 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | None |
| 1994 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | Alamo Bowl (W) |
| 1995 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | None |
| 1996 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | None |
| 1997 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | Rose Bowl (L) |
| 1998 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | None |
| 1999 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | None |
| 2000 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | None |
| 2001 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | Sun Bowl (W) |
| 2002 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | .769 | Rose Bowl (L) |
| Overall | 161 | 83 | 78 | 0 | .516 | 5 bowls, 3–2 |
Alabama Crimson Tide (2003)
Price was hired as head coach but dismissed before the 2003 season began, resulting in no games coached and a record of 0–0.[59]UTEP Miners (2004–2012, 2017)
| Year | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Bowl Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | Houston Bowl (L) |
| 2005 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | GMAC Bowl (L) |
| 2006 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | None |
| 2007 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | None |
| 2008 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | None |
| 2009 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | None |
| 2010 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | .462 | New Mexico Bowl (L) |
| 2011 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | None |
| 2012 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | None |
| 2017 (interim) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | .000 | None |
| Overall | 116 | 48 | 68 | 0 | .414 | 3 bowls, 0–3 |