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Mike Price When Mike Price took over as UTEP's head football coach on Dec. 21, 2003, few doubted his ability to reverse the fortunes of a program coming off three straight two-win seasons. The question mark, however, was how quickly Price could work his magic. Two years into his tenure with the Miners, the answer is a resounding IMMEDIATELY. Consider that in 2005 UTEP achieved a pair of feats for the first time in over 50 years -- winning eight games and earning bowl bids in back-to-back seasons. UTEP has racked up 16 wins under Price, the second-most victories in a two-year stretch in school history. The Miners are gunning for an unprecedented third straight bowl invitation this fall. The 2005 Miners rated ninth nationally in passing offense (300.6 ypg), 31st in total offense (422.8 ypg), and 33rd in passing efficiency (136.82) and scoring offense (31.8 ppg). In its first year as a member of Conference USA, UTEP led the league in passing offense and ranked second in scoring offense. Ten Miners earned all-conference accolades in both 2004 and 2005. In 2004, linebacker Robert Rodriguez was chosen the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Highlights from the 2005 season included UTEP setting a school record for consecutive home wins with nine. The Miners shattered school records for total home attendance (287,394) and average home attendance (47,899). UTEP has been a dominant force in the friendly confines of the Sun Bowl under Price, posting a 10-2 record. Among UTEP's 2005 home victims was eventual Conference USA champion Tulsa. For the second consecutive year, UTEP earned top-25 national rankings in both polls in the month of November after starting the season 8-1. Nine of the Miners' 12 games were carried on national television, including four on ESPN networks. The Miners set school season records for total offense (5,073 yards), passing yards (3,607), passing touchdowns (29) and first downs (270) last season. Leading the aerial assault was quarterback Jordan Palmer, who has rewritten the school's passing and total offense career records in just three years. Palmer was 16th in the country in total offense (287.8 ypg) and 25th in passing efficiency (140.54) in 2005. Several other Miners rated among the nation's best at their respective positions a year ago. Senior linebacker Thomas Howard was appointed the preseason defensive player of the year in the state of Texas by Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine. He was chosen in the second round of the NFL Draft by Oakland -- the earliest Miner to be selected since 1969. Senior wideout Chris Francies was 46th in the NCAA in receiving yards per game (77.4). Junior linebacker Jeremy Jones was 14th in tackles (10.8 per game), and tied for 15th in forced fumbles (0.3 per game). Junior kicker Reagan Schneider was 21st in field goals per game (1.5) and tied for 36th in scoring (7.9 ppg), and junior receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jr. was 43rd in punt returns (9.4 avg.). In his first season with the Miners Price, the 1997 National Coach of the Year, engineered the nation's most amazing turnaround, as UTEP posted an 8-4 record and ended its season matching up with Big 12 North Division champion Colorado in the EV1.net Houston Bowl. Price was a finalist for numerous national coach of the year awards in 2004, including the Eddie Robinson Award and Paul "Bear" Bryant Award. He was tabbed the Region 4 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), and was named the first-year coach of the year by Scripps and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Not only did Price enjoy a great deal of success in his initial year at UTEP, but he also put the Miner football program on the national map. Writers from the Albuquerque Journal, Arizona Republic, Dallas Morning News, Denver Post, ESPN The Magazine, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News and USA Today paid visits to the UTEP campus during the season. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit and a GameDay crew led by Tom Rinaldi also checked in with the Miners. The achievements on the field were extraordinary. UTEP earned rankings in both national polls (Associated Press, ESPN/USA Today) for the first time in school history. UTEP's highest ranking was 23rd by the Associated Press on Nov. 14. The Miners were also listed in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings for the first time in 87 years of football. UTEP won seven straight games late in the season, tying the longest streak in school annals. The Miners also tied the school record for Western Athletic Conference road wins with three, including a 24-21 triumph at Fresno State on Oct. 9. It was the only home defeat of the season for Fresno State, a nine-game winner that beat Virginia in the MPC Computers Bowl. The Miners also routed Hawaii, another 2004 bowl participant, 51-20 in the Sun Bowl. The Miners ranked 11th in the country in scoring offense (35.8 points per game), 14th in net punting (38.6 average), 20th in punt returns (13.4 average), 22nd in passing efficiency defense (108.7 rating), 26th in passing efficiency (138.0 rating) and 29th in passing (251.3 yards per game) in 2004. Individually, Bryce Benekos was seventh nationally in punting (44.1 average), DB Jahmal Fenner was 10th in punt returns (15.4 average), DB Adrian Ward was 16th in interceptions (0.4 average), RB Howard Jackson was 14th in all-purpose yardage (149.3 average) and 25th in rushing (98.9 yards per game), Schneider was 24th in scoring (8.1 points per game) and Palmer was 28th in passing efficiency (136.5 rating). First-team All-WAC selections included Benekos, Jackson, Ward, DL Chris Mineo and LB Robert Rodriguez. Second-team honorees were Schneider, TE Jonas Crafts, WR Jayson Boyd, Higgins and Howard. Rodriguez was tabbed the league defensive player of the year after leading the WAC in tackles for the third time in four seasons. Safety Quintin Demps was named to the Scripps/FWAA Freshman All-America Team, and was a third team freshman All-American by The Sporting News. The Miners also tied the school record with seven WAC Players of the Week during the season (four defense, two special teams, one offense). UTEP fans immediately embraced Price and his high-flying Miners. UTEP's average home attendance more than doubled from 20,009 in 2003 to 41,209 in 2004. Price was the head coach at Washington State University from 1989-2002. During his stint with the Cougars he compiled an 83-78 record, with three 10-win seasons and five bowl appearances. His last two teams at Washington State combined for a 20-5 record (13-3 in the Pac-10 Conference). Price's 2002 unit was the Pac-10 co-champion with a 7-1 mark, and met Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. Price was the head coach at Weber State from 1981-88, registering a 46-44 record. His career record is 145-130 in 24 years of coaching, with three conference titles. The 2002 Cougars finished 10-3 under Price, including a 30-27 overtime victory over USC. Washington State ranked eighth nationally in rushing defense (87.2 ypg), 13th in passing offense (292.7 ypg), 16th in total offense (421.9 ypg) and 17th in scoring offense (33.2 ppg) at year's end. The Cougars were second in the Pac-10 in total offense, third in total defense (342.5 ypg), and rated among the national leaders in sacks with 55. Quarterback Jason Gesser tallied a 146.44 passing efficiency rating, seventh-best in the country. He completed 236 of 402 passes for 3,408 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Cougar defense was anchored by defensive tackle Rien Long, winner of the Outland Trophy and a first team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. Long totaled 21.5 tackles for losses and 13 sacks in 2002. Another standout for the Cougars was defensive back Jason David, who was second in the nation with 0.7 interceptions per game. Washington State was 10-2 in 2001, tying for second place in the Pac-10. The Cougars beat Purdue 33-27 in the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Price was named the Pac-10 Coach of the Year for the third time, and was one of three finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Nineteen Cougars earned All-Pac 10 recognition, and 14 were selected Academic All-Pac 10. Senior free safety Lamont Thompson was chosen a first team All-American by the Associated Press after rating second nationally in interceptions (0.73 per game). Price's 2001 squad ranked 10th in the country in passing offense (300.9 ypg), 13th in scoring offense (35.2 ppg) and 17th in total offense (438.6 ypg). The 1997 Cougars posted a 10-2 mark, the first 10-win season for Washington State in 68 years. Washington State tied for first place in the Pac-10 with a 7-1 record. Price was tabbed the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and The Sporting News Coach of the Year. The Cougars dropped a narrow 21-16 decision to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Price guided Washington State to a 6-5 record in 1989, his first season at the helm of the program after taking over for Dennis Erickson. He was appointed the Pac-10 Coach of the Year by The Sporting News that year. During his 14 years at Washington State, Price coached five players who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft - running back Steve Broussard (20th pick by Atlanta in 1990), quarterback Drew Bledsoe (first pick by New England in 1993), linebacker Mark Fields (15th pick by New Orleans in 1995), quarterback Ryan Leaf (second pick by San Diego in 1998) and defensive back Marcus Trufant (11th pick by Seattle in 2003). Price orchestrated four winning seasons at Weber State, including a 10-3 campaign in 1987. The Wildcats were Big Sky Conference co-champions that year, and reached the quarterfinals of the I-AA playoffs. Weber State fashioned a 7-4 ledger in 1981, Price's first year as a collegiate head coach. The Wildcats lost to eventual I-AA champion Idaho State in triple overtime. Price has had extensive experience coaching in postseason All-Star games. He was the head coach of the West team in the 2003 East-West Shrine Game. He was also the West head coach in the 1998 Hula Bowl. He was the associate head coach for the West team in the 1995 East-West Shrine Game, and the offensive head coach for the North team in the 1993 Kelly Tires Blue-Gray All-Star Football Classic. He previously was an assistant coach at Washington State (graduate assistant, 1969-70 and running backs, 1974-77), Missouri (quarterbacks and receivers, 1978-80) and Puget Sound (offensive coordinator, 1971-73). He coached in three bowl games as an assistant (1978 Liberty, 1979 Hall of Fame, 1980 Liberty). Price played collegiately at Washington State (1965-66) and Puget Sound (1967-68), seeing time at quarterback and defensive back. He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from the Puget Sound in 1969. He added a master's degree in physical education from Washington State in 1970. A native of Everett, Wash., Price was an all-conference quarterback and three-year varsity letterwinner at Everett High School. Price is married to the former Joyce Taylor. They have three children - Eric, Aaron and Angie -- all with football ties. Eric played football at Weber State and coached under his father at Washington State. Aaron played at Washington State for two years, and also assisted his father as the Cougars' quarterbacks and kickers coach. Both Eric and Aaron are on Price's staff at UTEP. Angie graduated from Washington State in 1997, and is married to a high school athletic director. Mike and Joyce Price also have five grandchildren. Photo and biography courtesy: UTEP Athletics |
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