THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 12, 1996 TAG: 9603120371
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Tom Robinson
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Ryan Price's basketball team is playing in Richmond this weekend, a big AAU 12-and-under event. Ryan's dad, Tic, has a team playing in Richmond this weekend, too. In a tournament for bigger boys like Dean Smith and John Thompson.
Because of the divorce, father and son don't get to see each other much anymore. Ryan lives in Roanoke with his mom. Tic lives in New Orleans, where the former Old Dominion assistant now directs the University of New Orleans Privateers.
So a serendipitous reunion in their home state, on the nuttiest basketball weekend of the season, with a game against North Carolina as the main event, man, that's nothing short of ...
``Awesome,'' Tic Price said Monday from New Orleans.
``He'll get to see my team play Friday. I'll get to see his team play on Saturday. He'll probably stay with me in the hotel. I'll have his team watch us practice, and hopefully get the team in to watch our game. It's almost like a blessing.''
When he finally came to earth after Tyrone Garris' last-second layup last week earned New Orleans the Sun Belt Conference title and an NCAA tournament berth, Price pegged Richmond as his destination of choice.
Sure, a first-round game in Orlando or Dallas would have been more convenient for Privateer fans. But the idea of a triumphant return to Virginia among throngs of family and friends - remember, though, folks, he only gets so many tickets - got the better of Price's imagination.
Price, 40, grew up in Danville. He played college ball in Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth and at Virginia Tech, two years at each. He coached in Roanoke, Blacksburg and Norfolk.
He is two years gone now to New Orleans, a city that quickly brought him elation and soul-rending despair, but that also is starting to feel real good to him.
Virginia, though, will always be in Price's head and heart. And Friday, for at least a day, it will be his stage. He'll send his 11th-seeded Privateers out against the 6th-seeded Tar Heels and ask them to play smart and hard and proud. To do it for themselves. And for Tommy Joe.
When Tommy Joe Eagles died of a heart attack at 45, having never coached a game at New Orleans, Price was the man school officials turned to first - simply because of the way Price, a career assistant, had been described to them by Eagles. They were not friends for long, and had worked together just one year at Auburn.
After Auburn fired Eagles, he and Price went to New Orleans to begin what Eagles had called a five-year plan. When Eagles died, Price, briefly the ``interim'' coach, gathered the pieces of a reeling program, filled with junior college transfers and tepid prospects, and cranked out a stunning 20-11 season. No rookie coach in Division I won more.
Price did it again this season, but it wasn't as surprising. The Privateers went 21-8. Picked third in the preseason, they won their league. Better yet, Price is sure he has earned Eagles' approval.
``There's not a day goes by that I don't think of him,'' Price said. ``His picture's right here in my office. We have our talks, you know. After a real hard loss or something I'll say, `Coach you didn't tell me about this.' And it's almost like I can see him smiling. He'll say, `Well, you said you wanted to be a head coach.'
``Right now I think he's smiling. I think he's proud of the program.''
As proud, perhaps, as Price has a right to be this weekend in Richmond. by CNB