Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 21, 1994 TAG: 9404210056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Price has met with Jim Jarrett, Old Dominion's athletic director, to discuss the position that opened when third-year Monarchs head coach Oliver Purnell resigned April 7 to take over at Dayton.
Price, 38, spent two years as an assistant to Purnell before leaving last year to become an assistant at Auburn. Price has no regrets about the move, although Tigers coach Tommy Joe Eagles and his staff were dismissed after an 11-17 season.
"I knew I was taking a chance when I took the job," said Price, a Danville native. "I must have changed my mind 10 or 12 times, but I looked at it as an opportunity to coach against the best teams in the country and to build my resume. I've never lacked confidence in myself."
Price played at Virginia Tech and later spent two years on the Hokies' staff under Frankie Allen. He began his coaching career at Roanoke College before moving to Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he was an assistant for four years under former Hokie Mack McCarthy.
"I've been a coach for 14 years," Price said. "I feel I'm ready to run my own program. No one is better suited for Old Dominion because of the familiarity I have with the program. It would be an easier transition."
Price signed former Laurel Park High School star Odell Hodge, the Colonial Athletic Association's player of the year, and had a hand in recruiting several of Old Dominion's other top players, including Mario Mullen and Petey Sessoms, whom the Purnell staff had to re-recruit after Tom Young was dismissed in 1991.
Pete Strickland, an Old Dominion assistant for the past three seasons, is the only other candidate known to have met with the search committee. Also mentioned as possible candidates are head coaches Ron Bradley of Radford, Jim Larranaga of Bowling Green and Joe Harrington of Colorado.
Price already has been offered two jobs as a Division I assistant, but he had the foresight when he was hired at Auburn to ask that his first contract run through August.
"Right now, my focus is on becoming a head coach," Price said. "The worst-case scenario is that I'll be an assistant somewhere, but, I'm hoping for the best."
\ FUTURE HIGHLANDER: Radford has received an oral commitment from 6-foot-5 Corey Reed of Bremen, Ind., and has drawn the interest of several players who are thinking about transferring, including 6-7 Mike Petin of North Carolina-Wilmington, who will visit Radford during the weekend.
The Highlanders stepped up their pursuit of Reed when 6-3 Danny Johnson of Morganton, N.C., committed to Clemson. Schools that underwent coaching changes, including Clemson and Tennessee, became interested in Johnson when he was named the most valuable player at the 4-A state tournament.
The Highlanders will announce the signing of Reed as soon as his paperwork is processed. He averaged 23 points this season and finished his career as the all-time leading scorer at Bremen High School, where his father, Kent, is the coach.
Radford has one scholarship available; however, it is unlikely that 6-8 Jon Hunter, who played sparingly after transferring from James Madison, will retain his grant.
\ CHANGE OF HEART: Fork Union Academy guard James Pelham has had a change of heart and apparently will sign with JMU - one week after making an oral commitment to Richmond. Neither the Richmond staff nor Fork Union coach Fletcher Arritt was pleased that JMU continued to recruit Pelham after he had given his word to another Colonial Athletic Association school.
\ TRANSFER MANIA: It's been nothing but bad news lately for first-year Richmond coach Bill Dooley, who learned Wednesday that promising freshman Damon Bacote intends to transfer. Bacote is the third Spiders player this year and the 10th since 1990 to leave with remaining eligibility.
North Carolina is down to nine scholarship players after guard Larry Davis announced plans to transfer to South Carolina, apparently with coach Dean Smith's blessing. The Gamecocks are coached by former Tar Heels player and assistant Eddie Fogler.
\ PANTHERS GET PATRIOT: Ferrum College's first men's basketball commitment is from 6-1 guard Maurice "Moe" Preston of Patrick Henry. Preston led the Patriots (15-7) in assists with nearly five per game.
\ MORE RECRUITING: Ben Davis signed Monday with Arizona, which will be his fourth college team - three at the Division I level - since leaving Oak Hill Academy. Davis' first two schools, Kansas and Florida, went to the Final Four the year after his departure.
In the ACC, Clemson's first commitment was from 6-9 Michael Floyd of Winston-Salem, N.C.; and North Carolina State signed 6-6 Al Pinkins, who averaged 17 points for Chipola (Fla.) Junior College.
\ YELLOW JACKETS WORRIED: Georgia Tech quarterback Donnie Davis, held out of passing drills this spring at Georgia Tech, will undergo a second operation on his injured right shoulder after calcium deposits were discovered at the end of his collarbone.
"It's very disturbing," said Yellow Jackets head coach Bill Lewis, who has brought in Gary Crowton from Boston College as his passing-game coordinator. Georgia Tech opens its season against Arizona, which obliterated Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.
\ WASTED DAY: Washington and Lee's men's lacrosse team traveled to Baltimore on Saturday only to find out its game against Haverford had been canceled because of wet grounds at the McDonough School.
As it turned out, W&L practiced and probably could have played at Johns Hopkins, but Haverford was informed of the unplayable field before it left for the game.
by CNB