Price Will Return For At Least One More Season

The speculation is over.

Mike Price will be back as head coach of the UTEP football team next season. UTEP Athletic Director Bob Stull called a news conference Thursday to announce that Price will return for a ninth year, despite a sixth straight losing season.

“We really feel the continuity of moving ahead was to stay with (Price),” Stull said. “The people that have been around remember what it was like before, remember how embarrassing it was and how we weren’t competitive.”

Price said he was happy to have the opportunity to return and at least finish out his contract, which has one more year.

“It’s nice to be involved with a university that has credibility and loyalty, and loyalty is a good thing,” said Price, who has 16 starters returning next year. “We haven’t finished what we came here to do. We’ve come close a couple of years, but we haven’t finished it.”

Stull did stop short of extending Price’s contract any further, which could affect recruiting. Price was fine with having one more year.

“Right now we have 18 scholarships available and 16 commits,” he said. “That has not changed.”

UTEP players were relieved that their coach will return.

“We don’t have to sit there and stress out on are we going to have to learn a new offense, are we going to have to learn a new defense,” Edwards said. “We got the comfort of him coming back.”

UTEP boosters who attended the news conference also said Price is the best bet for next year.

“As long as we’re making progress, let’s continue on the same path,” booster Ed Davis said.

“We should shoot for championships and I think (Price) does shoot for championships and I think they’re gonna come,” booster Russ Vandenburg said. “I think they’re gonna come.”