UTEP hires Mike Price

Oakland Tribune, Dec 22, 2003 by ASSOCIATED PRESS

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 on Sunday despite a reputation tarnished by a night of partying at a 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 clear 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," Price 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."

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.

UTEP athletic director Bob Stull cited a relationship with Price that dates more than 20 years as part of his reason for giving him this opportunity. His coaching credentials made him a strong candidate to lead a team that's 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.

"We know Mike Price is a man who has been humbled by a highly public mistake," school 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."

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 in an interview with the Associated Press. "We made a decision to extend our deal with NBC. We're going to continue to monitor our choice. We haven't made any decision."

There has been speculation since Notre Dame and NBC announced the five-year extension that it was a sign the school, a Big East member in basketball and other sports, would continue as an independent in football.

The contract with NBC is worth a reported $9million a year through 2010.

WINTER SPORTS

Davide Simoncelli captured his first World Cup victory, becoming the first Italian to win a giant slalom on the Gran Risa course in Alta Badia, Italy, since Alberto Tomba in 1994.

Simoncelli won by 1.03 seconds and had a two-run time of 2 minutes, 33.90 seconds.

Finland's Kalle Palander was second and American Bode Miller, winner of this season's first two giant slaloms, finished 1.21 seconds behind in third. Other American finishers were Dane Spencer in 11th place and Truckee's Daron Rahlves in 28th.

"Simoncelli today skied as well as I've ever seen anyone ski GS that second run," Miller said. "He was fluid the whole way, took huge risks and was really aggressive, and it looks effortless when that happens."

Hermann Maier of Austria held his overall World Cup lead despite finishing 26th. Miller is eighth in the standings.

Olympic champion Andre Lange led Germany to victory in a World Cup four-man bobsled race in Altenberg, Germany, with Todd Hays piloting his U.S. team to third place.

Lange won the doubles a day earlier, an event in which he captured an Olympic gold medal.

Elli Ochowicz and Casey FitzRandolph won 500-meter races in West Allis, Wis., to edge closer to national sprint titles in the U.S. Long Track Speedskating Championships.

GOLF

Australia's Peter Lonard won the Australian Open, holing a 10- foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory in Rye, Australia.

Lonard closed with a 3-under 69 for a 9-under 279 total on the Moonah Links. Countrymen Stephen Leaney (71) and Chris Downes (72) tied for second. American Ricky Barnes of Stockton, the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion, shot a 73 to tie for ninth at 5 under.