Neal, Price as package deal at Tech?
Craig Neal and Mark Price have interviewed for the men’s basketball coaching job at Georgia Tech.
Neal, a guard at Tech in the mid-1980s, has served as an assistant coach for the past seven seasons at Iowa and New Mexico. Neal hasn’t campaigned for the job, but he did express an interest. He told colleague Mark Bradley, “That’s my dream job. That’s my school.” Jeff Goodman at Fox Sports first reported Neal and Price’s interview.
Price, an All-American point guard at Tech in the mid-80s, expressed an interest last weekend, according to former Tech player Dennis Scott. Price, a Yellow Jackets legend, led the team to its first ACC championship and regular-season title as a junior in 1985. His jersey was retired by the school.
According to Goodman, if Neal were hired, he and Price would come as a package deal, with his former teammate as his associate head coach.
Georgia Tech is declining to comment on the search.
Reports yesterday had Tulsa’s Doug Wojcik also interviewing for the job as well. He denied the reports, saying he hadn’t been contacted. That doesn’t mean, of course, that his agent or attorney weren’t contacted.
After Paul Hewitt was let go almost two weeks ago, Cuonzo Martin’s name was floated as a possible replacement. Martin, the coach at Missouri State, is 61-40 with the Bears. With Mike Anderson’s decision to leave Missouri for Arkansas, I’ll be curious to see if Martin becomes the front-runner for the Tigers.
– Doug Roberson, AJC
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144 comments Add your comment
Tech Forever
March 24th, 2011
10:56 am
Doug
Can we at least ask drad if there are some concrete names we can eliminate who aren’t interested in the job? Turgeon, Drew, and others?
Doug Roberson
March 24th, 2011
10:59 am
Tried, no dice on that one Tech Forever.
Tech Forever
March 24th, 2011
11:01 am
From a buddy of mine in Columbia this morning, Cuonzo Martin will be interviewed this weekend for the newly opened position at Missou.
thretrone
March 24th, 2011
11:07 am
hiring Tech grads is what’s needed now at my alma mater of ‘73; don’t hire a stranger for a program that’s been affected by stanger coaches for the past two coaches and that’s building a new coliseum; Danny Hall would be an exception to that rule; CPJ is on the verge of proving he prefers the color black, thus is a stranger to Tech; if the football team ever wears a black GT on their helmets under CPJ’s coaching, would you be surprised, after getting prepared for this by the black knee socks year after year and the wide, 95% black stripes down the sides of the pants last year? that’s the type of coaching that gets a coach fired because of low fan appeal; remember, the head of the Alumni Associaton said in the alum newspaper that “Black is out”; black is out, and stranger coaches are out; Neal and Price as associate head coaches are not only one, but two Tech grads, and Price has experience in NBA arenas for the next two years of building construction on the new coliseum
threetrone
March 24th, 2011
11:08 am
my screen/pen name is threetrone; sorry for typo
threetrone
March 24th, 2011
11:10 am
tes=t, tos=t, te=t, rone=rone
Paul in RDU
March 24th, 2011
11:13 am
Comparing Price and Neal to ACC coaches at their alma maters:
Roy Williams had been HC for 15 years at one of the top basketball schools in the country (Kansas) before being hired at UNC
Gary Williams spent 11 years as HC at 3 different schools (with the last 3 in the Big 10 at Ohio State) before being hired at Maryland
Matt Doherty had 1 year as HC at Notre Dame before being hired at UNC
Sidney Lowe had 0 years as HC in college (although he had several years in the NBA) before being hired at NCSU
Jeff Jones had 0 years as HC (9 years as an assistant at UVA) before being hired as HC at UVA
Craig Neal has 0 years as HC (7 years as an assistant to Steve Alford)
Mark Price has 0 years as HC (1 year as an assistant to Bobby Cremins)
Judging from the successful coaches (Roy and Gary) compared to the outright failures (Doherty, Lowe) and partial failures (Jones), HC in the ACC is not an entry level position.
ScoutDawg
March 24th, 2011
11:28 am
Damn, and I quote ” he has high school experience as a coach”. Really, really, I hate you nerds but damn you can do better. High school < ACC.
Okeefe/Bob
March 24th, 2011
11:31 am
I hope this is a joke. I love GT also and would crawl to Texas for GT but i sure as hell couldn’t coach them.We don’t need an alumni cheer leader. We need a coach who is proven. I like Neal but let’s face it,assisting Alford is not what I would call the best of experience.Alford was hated at Iowa.From Ia to NM is not exactly what i would call an upward move.
Okeefe/Bob
March 24th, 2011
11:39 am
The last package deal I am familiar with is Lowe and Towe at N C State, my daughters school.What a waste of 5 years for the Wolfpack.We can’t afford a 5 more years of marginal performance or it will take us as long to recover as it has taken N C State—over 20 years now and they are nobetter off than they were in 1990.
Paul in RDU
March 24th, 2011
11:58 am
Talking of Ish Muhammed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoUNS_Sgbxs&feature=related
Gordon
March 24th, 2011
12:12 pm
It’s got to be between Mooney and Marshall. The only question is if Radakovich will wait until Marshall’s season is over. That could be as late as March 31st. Maybe he will interview Marshall in the next few days. Of course I am assuming Mooney doesn’t make the final four. If he does, we might not be able to afford him any longer.
5150 UOAD
March 24th, 2011
12:18 pm
How about hiring Ken Whisenhunt as the new TECH Head Coach? Now that is a HUGE hire and I could get behind that choice. I don’t think we can afford him but maybe a few more years and he will leave the NFL on his own.
Cremins
March 24th, 2011
12:30 pm
Why not Cremins to coach for three to five years as he rides into the sunset and let Neal or PRice take over after they have served under Cremins as an assistant?
GT45
March 24th, 2011
12:37 pm
Tech needs new life breathed into the program, and Neal and Price would do just that. There is not a point guard in the nation who would not want to learn from two of the best, ever, in the ACC. You would never have to question either’s commitment to the program! And one more thing, I’m sure that if they didn’t succeed, they would both step aside, and not take the money with them!
john
March 24th, 2011
12:45 pm
There is a significant amount of alumni who would cry bloddy murder if we hire Price or Neal. Not because we don’t like them, but becasue it is an emotional decision that anyone could make. There are a hundred examples of bad ADs doing this, it backfiring, and killing the program for 10+ years. There are very very few sucess stories with this type of hire. period. DRAD is not going to make this mistake, he is too smart. This is the mentality that is killing the Michigan football program.
WJ
March 24th, 2011
12:46 pm
We don’t need x players that have never been a HC @ GT. Period. We need someone thats been there and done that. x players have played but a big differance in playing and coaching.
Drads will get the right man………..bet on it.
Augustafan
March 24th, 2011
12:59 pm
We should hire the Neal/Price combo. I think if Price is the Head Coach and Neal as the assistant that would be a tremendous duo. I do believe that we would get them at a fairly inexpensive dollar amount but they would definitely fill the seats. They both know what it means to be a GT fan. They know what the fans want and expect as they have both played bball there.
Jackets 2011
March 24th, 2011
12:59 pm
C’mon Paul.
Do we need to have this discussion every day until we get a new coach?
VC
March 24th, 2011
1:01 pm
Would you take Stevens from Butler? Where was he 5 years ago? How much experience did he have coming into Butler? Experience doesn’t necessarily equate to “good coach”. Many factors to think about with the Tech job and the damage that has been done by Hewitt.
Jackets 2011
March 24th, 2011
1:01 pm
I want to encourage fans to support whoever DRAD hires regardless whether the choice is the one you would make.
Jackets 2011
March 24th, 2011
1:04 pm
BTW how much is the parking at Gwinnett?
Jackets 2011
March 24th, 2011
1:07 pm
Second chance Yahoo league for Big Dance.
#11391. No PW needed.
League name – Yellow Jackets
League motto – DRAD will pick the right guy.
Um, ah I thought that .............
March 24th, 2011
1:13 pm
GT being “a basketball school” and “playing in the ACC” must not be THE DRAW that GT fans thought that it would be.
Let us face it: GT is small ball now and it is very difficult spot to recruit and play big boy ball consistently and win. These two no names being even remotely considered, proves it.
GT cannot even get some ESTABLISHED low to mid level coach to come. Wow!
Ethel St blues continue.
Here is a thought
March 24th, 2011
1:15 pm
Cremmins? I say get Wack Hyder. AAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHA
Rodger The Doger Kaiser would also work.
Mighty Georgie mutt
March 24th, 2011
1:41 pm
Neal and Price – a great duo, but not now, not at Tech, please!!! Ask NCSt how did the “take the ex-player who played for the iconic coach, who won the championship, and whose jersey is up in the rafters, and bring him back to coach” experiment worked out. THANK GOD it is DRad doing the hiring, and not some of our fans!!!
5150 UOAD
March 24th, 2011
1:45 pm
Mark Price will need too much free time to go to Chapel Hill to be the TECH HEAD COACH. His daughter is playing Tennis for the Tarheels.
Dadgum......
March 24th, 2011
1:45 pm
Told you guys that some big boosters were clamoring for Price to be interviewed. Makes perfect sense for a package deal. Neither would get the job on their own. Still don’t think they are the top options as a combo but it is interesting. By the way, those of you who think Marshall is a possibility well I have been told he is definitely not in the mix at GT. That is one name you can scratch off the list.
Still looks like Mooney and sports talk radio here in Richmond as of 12:30 confirms that Mooney has been contacted by several schools. Not sure which ones but I know GT contacted him weeks ago.
Dadgum......
March 24th, 2011
1:54 pm
Um…..What? No names? Yeah, ok whatever.
GT is small ball is a joke. Name me one other ACC school other than Puke, MD or Unc that is a better job than GT given all parameters year in and year out. GT hard to recruit for, please. Do some freakin homework. Get a solid coach, new arena, assistants that can recruit and coach then GT will be back again.
TechFan
March 24th, 2011
2:13 pm
5150 UOAD Why does it matter to you what Atlanta Celtics players have degrees? Finishing Tech or not, they may go on somewhere else and get a degree. So what Kenny Anderson is broke, so are most people of this nation. What difference does that make? I playing for Team Georgia Trojans and I have a degree, you want whatever coach to only recruit guys from my AAU team?
bring back glory days
March 24th, 2011
2:22 pm
Thank you DRad for at least giving these legends a shot. I will support the decision made though I like the way Rodney Kent stated it in his 10 17 am post.
Many seem opposed to this duo but the fan base would instantly be energized. I am not sure a Mooney does that. DRad’s Good Word comments allude to that aspect of the fan base but he also counters it with a requirement for a proven track record. If that means years of HC experience then no chance for Price. I’m hoping many years of point experince in the NBA count for something.
BTW DRad thanks for bringing an ACC football championship to Tech withCPJ. Like him or not that championship is in the books. Go Jackets!
NYJacket
March 24th, 2011
2:28 pm
With all due respect to others, Mark Price has probably forgotten more about basketball than Hewitt has ever learned. His father was a high school coach. So, he learned the fundamentals very early in life. And, he has played and excelled at the highest levels of the game.
Would his hire bring risks? Yes, but if it works, look out!
Tech Forever
March 24th, 2011
2:33 pm
VC
Brad Stevens didn’t have any head coaching experience 5 years ago…..which is exactly why he started at Butler and not an ACC school.
William Satterwhite
March 24th, 2011
2:35 pm
“Would you take Stevens from Butler? Where was he 5 years ago? How much experience did he have coming into Butler?”
Brad Stevens had been an assistant at Butler since 2001 under the two previous coaches when he was given the job.
Techy466
March 24th, 2011
2:41 pm
Mark Price has spent most days of his life in the basketball gym. How else do you think he could be voted 1st team All NBA and a 4 time NBA All Star not to mention ACC Most Valuable Player with his size and stature? It is because he knows the game and because of his work ethic and determination. He had to beat people by being smarter than them and working harder than them in the gym. Some of you act like it would have been better for him to be a grad assistant or assistant coach in a small school than to be leading his teams from the floor as a point guard at the highest level in the world – taking his team to the Eastern Conference Finals! Give me a break! Of course, Mark Price, can coach. He did it his entire career from the floor! I would think that being an assistant coach in the NBA for the last 4 years would also give him so credentials and working with NBA All Stars on their game. If you want to see someone that is passionate about winning basketball games – just watch Mark Price on You Tube!! What high school athlete wouldn’t want to learn from him? If I had a son that played, I would want him with someone who has been there and done it. Mark Price would be great for Georgia Tech. It is my understanding that he asked Hewitt for a job as an assistant several times in these last few years when there were openings at GT. He helped build GT Basketball – his blood, sweat, and tears are there! Price would be a great hire!
GTPhenom
March 24th, 2011
2:42 pm
I don’t really get the draw in this. Bring them on as assistants, heck yeah, I would love it. But right now, they are not what we need as a head coach. If it were to flame out because of their lack of experience, there would be hell to pay for the basketball program. We would be set back for even longer than we are right now. Right now, I want to see Mooney or Marshall. I expect Richmond to probably lose tomorrow anyways, and if that is the case as soon as he is out of the tourney, we get our asses in gear and contact him immediately. And if not him, then I am extremely impressed with the action Marshall has done. Look at what he did with a similar point gaurd who became the active leader (unitl Jimmer plays tonight) in points right now. I was thoroughly impressed last night. Honestly though, just do something. Whatever it is will be a risk, so go with what you expect to be the smallest risk, take the leap of faith, and for God’s sake, don’t give them a never ending freaking contract. Just my two cents.
GTPhenom
March 24th, 2011
2:44 pm
And again, I’d be fine with Price as an assitant, and Neal also; both are huge in the history of GT Basketball and clearly have their own enticing allure. I just don’t think we can afford the risk of not having an established coach in place, particularly in the ACC, although while it is down like it is, now is the time to strike the hot iron so to speak and do what needs to be done.
ormewood
March 24th, 2011
2:48 pm
GTPhenom, saying the ACC is down is entirely subjective. They have five NC’s in last 10 years, and currently have three of the Sweet 16, more than any other conference. All three of those teams are favorites to win their next games. Doesn’t mean they will win of course, but the supposedly-down ACC could have three of the Elite Eight. All leagues should wish to be that down.
William Satterwhite
March 24th, 2011
2:49 pm
Techy466, I don’t think anyone doubts that Mark Price can’t be a great coach when it comes to simply teaching the game and motivating players but unfortunately that’s a very small part of what a college basketball head coach has to actually do. If anything, those teaching aspects of coaching are left more to assistants anyway.
William Satterwhite
March 24th, 2011
2:51 pm
I’ll say one thing though, if Mark Price really did try to become an assistant under Hewitt and Hewitt said no, then Hewitt did this school a tremendous disservice there.
Stinger 2
March 24th, 2011
2:52 pm
All of this speculation is out of hand. Why not just wait for the announcement whenever it happens. This issue of hiring a GT BB coach has been the most over hyped sports
issue of the year.Yesterday three different AJC writers
posted articles at about the same time.
GTPhenom
March 24th, 2011
2:54 pm
Oh trust me, I didn’t mean down in that idea. Let’s be honest, when are Duke and UNC ever going to be consistently down? I simply meant it as an analogy and a reference, lol. I get annoyed at that reference as well, because well, it can be untrue, but in general, looking at the number of teams in and all was all I meant to be referencing. Sorry if I went a little far with my analogy, lo
GTPhenom
March 24th, 2011
2:56 pm
Lol, and on top of that I’ll be honest I said Duke or UNC would win it all, so trust me, I understand completely the power of the ACC. Could very well be three straight this year.
Jack LaBia
March 24th, 2011
3:06 pm
Ga Tech, like any school determined to reenter the basketball limelight, needs someone with HEAD coaching experience at a decent school. Not a career assistant tackling his first head coaching job. Neal would be a big mistake AT THIS POINT. Let him get head coaching experience at one or two lesser schools over the next 7 years, and if he proves himself, he could be a strong candidate for GT then. The skills involved in being a head coach are very different from what an assistant has already mastered.
Tech Forever
March 24th, 2011
3:08 pm
Sammy Baugh, Eddie Mathews, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, Mel Ott, Mike Singletary, Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale, Ted Williams, Bryan Trottier, Isiah Thomas, Wayne Gretzky
When someone can post 12 superstar athletes who’ve become great coaches in spite of their lack of head coaching experience I’ll put more weight into Mark Price being the next HC at Georgia Tech. And believe me….I stopped at 12 when i could have listed 50.
Stinger 2
March 24th, 2011
3:09 pm
Doug: Why have my comments been deleted/ I said nothing
wrong about anyone.
Doug Roberson
March 24th, 2011
3:27 pm
i haven’t deleted them.
Techy466
March 24th, 2011
3:38 pm
Most coaches in all sports are former players! Doc Rivers, Nate McMillan, Scott Skiles, Lorenzo Romar, Steve Alford, Bobby Cremins. Most professional and college coaching staffs are full of former players and yes, some succeed and some fail. Every situation is different.
gomabman2
March 24th, 2011
3:44 pm
Wow! I was an avid fan of Neal and Price baaaaaack in the day, but as head coach/assistant to lead Tech into their next era…No way! This would be a big mistake. Neither has the HC or recruiting exp. needed for a competitive basketball team in the ACC. Seriously. I can understand all of the sentiments and emotions pouring out from past and present fans, administration, alumni, and the athletic association, but these guys are not even candidates for any serious basketball program, let alone Tech. Come on man! Now that Anderson is gone to UA (watch out for the Razorbacks), the list has dwindled down to only a couple good, good choices: Brad Stevens and Anthony Grant, and throw in Shaka Smart for good measure. Consideration should even be made for Chris Mooney and Rod Strickland. Outside of these guys, it is scary to think that we will be successful on this one.
gomabman2
March 24th, 2011
3:49 pm
Tech Forever…let me add Matt Doherty to your list! LOL